Past Rulai was shaken, terrified, and furious, lamenting his dreadful luck. He was far from his prime; after his physical body had been torn apart in the past, his Dao wound had never fully healed, and ever since, he had not dared to employ Heavenly God force for prolonged periods.
Now, he was being bullied mercilessly. First he was thoroughly thrashed by Lu Yu, then he had to endure Present Rulai's sarcastic mockery, and worst of all, a pack of degenerates lurking in the darkness had set their greedy eyes on him.
The moment he broke out of the dense fog, he immediately retreated. His frontal bone ached faintly, as if an immortal arrow were leveled squarely between his eyebrows; he dared not force his way through.
That brief hesitation cost him dearly. Another Six Emperors Palm crashed down, collapsing his back. Multicolored blood splattered in all directions as flesh peeled away, and half of his shoulder blade went flying.
This triggered a scramble. Several figures silently emerged to retrieve the golden skin and collect the jade bones, their hungry gazes promptly fixing upon his fine head.
"Nephew, do you mean to strike me as well?" Past Rulai did not dare bark at the others, turning instead toward the similarly massive, short-haired "one of his own."
Present Rulai spoke with sincere earnestness, sighing, "Senior Martial Uncle, you are old. Having returned, you shouldn't stir up trouble. You ought to go enjoy your twilight years."
Past Rulai's heart sank. "What do you want to do?"
He knew he had crossed a red line in the hearts of certain people in Night Province this time; he should not have targeted Lu Zizai. Yet he was acutely aware of his own condition. His physical body was in dire straits, and he needed the aid of that newly reincarnated trans-era being.
Present Rulai said, "Senior Martial Uncle, dismantle yourself a bit and retire to the rear mountains to pass your old age."
"You bastard!" Past Rulai felt an overwhelming urge to leap up and slap him twice across the face with all his might. This unfilial descendant truly meant to deceive the master and exterminate the ancestor!
The tall figure opposite remained serene. "You are an elder of our Rulai Sect. Naturally, I will not lift a hand against you."
Yet before Present Rulai could finish his words, his senior martial uncle's body ruptured once more. Past Rulai took another Six Emperors Palm, and his back shattered completely.
Past Rulai had been teleporting continuously, appearing and vanishing like a ghost, yet he still could not evade that sky-covering heavenly light, grievously battered by the mutated six controls force.
"Rulai, if it's inconvenient for you to act, I can help on your behalf just like Lu Yu. After all, who among us doesn't have a retired emperor at home?" someone spoke from within the black mist, sounding suspiciously like a patriarch from the esoteric sect.
At that moment, Past Rulai felt dread and indignation. What kind of ruthless, predatory nonsense was this? Were they actually offering mutual aid to beat each other's elders?
Chills ran down his spine. The old codgers of Night Province were indeed none of them good sorts—they were downright depraved.
Rulai remained silent. In any case, Lu Yu was already taking action, and that was more than enough.
Over the past six months, the Newborn path, the esoteric sect, and the outer realm had lived in extraordinary harmony. The growing closeness among the three factions was entirely thanks to the retired emperors and founding ancestors.
"Lu Yu, I will take you down with me!" Past Rulai roared. He was ill-suited for bloody battle; the blood within him was burning, and his frame was on the verge of collapsing, yet he could not evade the Six Imperials Patriarch.
"Come, come, come! The decaying aura upon me happens to need you to grind it away!" All Six Emperors appeared together, while a seventh avatar remained somewhat hazy, draped in deathly aura.
With his golden skin tattered, jade skin shattered, and blood soaking his entire frame, Past Rulai was covered in cracks and broken bones. He understood that without the resolve to perish together in mutual destruction, he would be slowly ground to death today.
What infuriated him most was that the other man genuinely treated him as a "Past Rulai Millstone," intending to use him to grind away his own deathly aura and achieve a complete rebirth.
Looking back upon his past, when he had attained mastery over Chaos force and his body had not yet deteriorated to such a wretched state, he too had looked down upon the world. How could he ever have imagined falling to such a plight?
Inside the Past Hall, the accumulated dust of history now surged forth in a boiling tempest, blending with Past Rulai's blood to transform into star after star. Suspended within the Mist Sea, they rotated, each releasing monumental claps of thunder.
Lu Yu frowned. "What can I even say about you? You can't endure an extended war, yet even when seeking mutual destruction, you still leave yourself a way out. With such half-heartedness and hesitation, how can you fight me?"
At this moment, his form divided into the Six Emperors, using the seventh avatar as a weapon thrust out before him, truly utilizing that vast expanse of blood-colored stars to grind away his deathly aura.
"You..." Past Rulai's cracked visage looked hideous. After gravely wounding him, the man still sought to pierce his heart with words, showing utter contempt through cool indifference.
The sound of a tsunami rolled from the depths of the Mist Sea—at times distant and faint, at times deafening as if right beside them.
Evidently, even as formidable as Lu Yu was, and as eerie as Past Rulai was, they were still merely on the fringes of the Mist Sea, where all the eye could see was dense black fog.
Now, the entire night sky was illuminated, filled with massive blood-colored stars born of Past Rulai's manifested might. The heavenly constellations rotated, attempting to obliterate the Six Imperials Patriarch.
Towering waves of Dao rhythm surged, and boundless heavenly light poured forth, as if seeking to grind this place into nothingness.
Lu Yu's seventh avatar exploded, only to reform once more.
Within moments, Past Rulai's pupils constricted and his chest tightened. He had truly been reduced to a "Past Rulai Millstone," nothing more than a tool.
"Kill!" he bellowed, unleashing the hot blood dormant for so many years and the ferocity that scoffed at death, intent on dragging his opponent into the grave with him.
"That's the spirit!" the Six Imperials Patriarch said. His Six Emperor avatars surged forward together, putting themselves to the test by taking Past Rulai's destructive power head-on to grind away the decaying aura.
*Pfft!*
Parts of Past Rulai blew apart, yet gathered back together. The Golden Body Permanent Fixation Technique was still taking effect, but he was nearly crippled, his own blood burning holes through his frame.
He let out a low roar of agony, fled into the Past Hall, wrapped himself in the straw mat, and used the battered, dormant ancient edifice to carve a path, ultimately... escaping.
In the Mist Sea, as those massive blood-colored stars exploded one after another, all Six Emperors grunted, having been pierced through, wisps of deathly aura leaking from them. Yet in the end, Lu Yu merely sighed faintly. "Still not enough. But the Past Rulai Millstone itself is about to shatter!"
With a whoosh, he gave chase out of the Mist Sea.
Beneath the long night, numerous pairs of eyes watched, moving even faster than he did, all pursuing together.
Past Rulai roared in fury. Even hiding inside the Past Hall that manifested his legacy, he was battered once more. Ambushers blocked his path, smashing the ancient structure until it began to collapse.
On the ground, his followers—grandmasters, disciples, and the rest—turned deathly pale. This spectacle chilled them from head to foot, their spirits feeling as though they had plunged into an abyss.
Those who had switched allegiance from the Rulai Sect were especially gripped by panic and dread.
"Past Rulai Millstone, halt!" Lu Yu roared, now far more direct, affixing that crucial suffix to his opponent's name.
*Rumble!*
The Past Hall collapsed. More than one person struck from the shadows, barring the principal's path.
"What do you want?" Past Rulai realized that today he was almost certainly doomed.
Through the night fog, several terrifying pairs of eyes could be seen shining like miniature suns. All belonged to mighty patriarchs, their gazes burning, closing in from their positions of observation.
"We merely wish to solicit alms from our venerable senior, hoping to borrow a piece of true bone. What, you won't give it? Hand it over!" someone called out, striking with a resounding blast.
Another person spoke with a gentle, smiling countenance: "Senior, we would never slay a worthy predecessor. We are merely taking a loan. We need ten jin of your flesh and blood."
Hearing such words, Past Rulai was so furious smoke practically billowed from his seven apertures, yet chills gripped him to the bone. Who was truly the demonic one here? Who was the evil spirit?
Lu Yu spoke: "Millstone, your true body perhaps died five hundred years ago. What remains today is merely the doing of an obsession. Why not leave behind your skin and bones, and take your ruined frame and remnant consciousness to enjoy your twilight years in peace?"
Hearing this, Past Rulai became increasingly certain: these old codgers devoured people whole without spitting out the bones. Not a single one of them was benevolent—they were all ruthless through and through.
"In truth, Senior Martial Uncle, there was nothing wrong with your return. We welcomed you with open arms. But why did you have to target our own people in Night Province?" Present Rulai said.
Hence, they launched their offensive tonight!
In truth, it was largely because Qin Ming had set the precedent earlier.
That evening, Qin Ming had defeated Past Rulai's grand-disciple with overwhelming dominance—a crushing victory that forced Sun Chengjun to kneel on one knee with his head held down.
That battle had shattered the halo surrounding Past Rulai's lineage.
The so-called Chaos force was not as invincible as imagined. Consequently, the patriarchs personally came out in the dead of night to test the waters.
Most crucially, Lu Yu's reverse scale had been touched, prompting him to act with ruthless determination in the first place. Thus... Past Rulai ran aground, suffering one catastrophic blow after another.
The patriarchs of Night Province had been constantly sizing up the retired emperors and founding ancestors. Tonight's incident was merely a catalyst that provided them with an honorable pretext to sound them out.
"Rest assured, senior, you won't die. Just lend me half a jin of bone. Hmm, I want your parietal bone, non-negotiable!"
"Old Past, at your advanced age, instead of retiring, you turned yourself into an inheritance. Come, give me half of that black heart of yours; I need to study it."
The top patriarchs from the various paths of Night Province spoke one after another, demanding to dismantle Past Rulai, dividing his bones and sharing his flesh on the spot—words that thoroughly broke the victim's composure.
Past Rulai's heart pounded with terror; he wanted nothing more than to curse them to high heaven.
The Past Hall shattered, punched through and torn apart by the patriarchs of Night Province. Past Rulai fell out, immediately feeling an excruciating pang in his chest as several figures blasted straight through him, sending his heart-blood flying.
When peerless patriarchs struck simultaneously, who in the current age could withstand them? None of them showed any mercy, each taking flesh and blood, severing jade bones and the like.
Without a doubt, these people had become literal scavengers of the elderly.
In a sense, the words they had uttered in the past were no lies; today, they were putting them into practice.
"Ah..." Past Rulai wailed. His body had already been on the brink of falling apart; how could it possibly withstand such torment? He was thoroughly ruined!
"Senior, endure it a little. Everything is for the sake of opening up the paths," a patriarch offered as consolation.
Past Rulai did not die, but after this night, he could only retire to spend his final years. Without the aid of an Earth Immortal or sage, he could only chew through the bitter dregs of his fading existence.
Some said that Present Rulai, ever so filial, settled him in the rear mountains of the Rulai Sect. Others said he was sent into the earthen city. All in all, he faded completely from public view.
The night deepened, yet news flew in every direction, destined to detonate across the lands.
The events of this night were simply too astonishing.
The staff at the night papers and world papers were working overtime, rushing their drafts through the dark.
The next morning, in city after city beneath the long night, all newspapers sold out completely, driven by news that was utterly explosive.
"Two young geniuses practicing Chaos force clash at Shanhe Academy... Past Rulai's successor drops to one knee, bowing his head in submission."
"The so-called orthodox lineage falls to a collateral branch—Qin Ming sweeps his rival!"
"Secret report: Undercurrents surged after last night's duel—Fairy Li Qingyue captures Sun Chengjun's senior brother, Wu Mochen, in the late hours of the night!"
...
The entire morning buzzed with heated discussions everywhere, throwing the world into a complete uproar.
As for the clash of patriarchs, it felt surreal. Word spread that Past Rulai had been crippled.
Regarding this matter, neither the night papers nor the world papers dared to report comprehensively or explicitly, constrained by a lack of hard evidence and the staggering scale of the fallout.
Nevertheless, they did not conceal the news either, recounting it in a vague, hazy fashion that still unleashed a titanic wave.
That day, all quarters were shaken!
Whether the founding ancestors in the earthen city or the retired emperors of the various paths, chills crept up their spines.
"A rumor has arrived claiming that Past Rulai's skull was polished into a string of prayer beads."
"It is reported that his arm bones were fashioned into daggers."
Evidently, some reports were absurd in the extreme, departing entirely from the truth, yet they spread far and wide.
Night Province harbored many scouts from the outer lands. That very day, these shocking reports leaked outward, setting off a tremendous uproar in distant regions.
Without question, the reputation of Night Province's patriarchs plummeted noticeably in the outer lands!
Even an Earth Immortal in the outer lands, upon receiving the secret report, could not help but remark, "Those old codgers are truly black-hearted! They actually dismantled someone who mastered a sacred force—utterly savage! How will that old fellow in Pugong react?"
The patriarchs of the various paths thus gained widespread fame, though certainly not of a flattering sort. It prompted discussion and condemnation across the outer lands, along with a deep-seated wariness.
"The outer lands do not understand Night Province's darkness..." an outsider visitor murmured softly.
The people in the earthen city were also startled, all closely following the affair.
Even Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe was visibly taken aback upon hearing the news, going so far as to personally investigate the details.
"We support the Earth Immortal in unifying Night Province!" Patriarchs from the various paths stepped forward one after another, remaining as low-key and humble as ever.
Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe remained silent. On the surface, with her holding court in the earthen city, Night Province was indeed headed for unification. Yet she now realized that the various paths within Night Province had also reached unity among themselves—the patriarchs of the various sects had reconciled and stood together.
"It is nothing. We have Yujing behind us. Leaking even a hint of news is enough to trigger a massive earthquake across Night Province. Who among them would dare disobey?"
"The earthen city carries the will of Yujing. No one dares defy it!"
Inside the earthen city, several old monsters conversed.
Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe even pondered whether to advance the schedule of certain major events, bringing the relevant milestones forward.
"Helian Chengyun, Lu Yu, and the others submitted a report requesting the earthen city to back them. They wish to reopen the 'gate' and excavate a path leading into the depths of the night fog world."
"What? Surely they aren't planning to dig another hole near the earthen city, are they?!"
"That seems to be their intention; otherwise, why would they consult us in advance?"
In the earthen city, the old monsters nearly bristled with indignation, universally concluding that the old codgers of Night Province had gone mad. Things had only just settled down, yet those people were already looking for trouble!
Not long had passed since the Great Dream Divine Mushroom wreaked havoc, yet these unfilial descendants were restless once again, making it impossible for the old fellows in the earthen city to stay calm.
"Are they doing this on purpose?"
"They claim they have no other desires and fully support Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe's decisions. For now, they only wish to open up paths, obtain resources from different worlds, and explore other realms."
The old monsters of the earthen city knew that the patriarchs of Night Province had already mastered that technique. Even without filing a report beforehand, they could dig holes at locations with Super Fire Springs to connect to unknown lands. Notifying them now was certainly not out of respect for the earthen city, but rather to drag them in to shoulder the risks together.
Upon learning of this, Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe said, "Perhaps it is time for that city in the sky to emerge."
Her voice rose slightly. "The time is nearly ripe. Grant an opportunity to all the geniuses across the domains touched by Yujing—permit the outstanding ones to enter that city in the sky."
...
In Night Province, winds and clouds converged. Despite all manner of unfavorable rumors, many outsiders continued to arrive from afar, including non-human travelers journeying from the absolute depths of the night fog world.
"Sister! Master! You have finally arrived from the Sacred Race!" a white-robed youth exclaimed with excitement, moving to welcome an exceptionally graceful woman in a red dress.
"Tell me, have you identified that person?" The woman in red could not forget her experience when she had mimicked the conscious spiritual light of a white beast to enter the Great Thunder Sound. Unable to display her true power, she had ultimately been kicked squarely in the buttocks by that youth as she fled, forcibly booted out the doors of the Great Thunder Sound Temple.
Wiping away cold sweat, the white-robed youth said, "Sister, stay calm. This place called Night Province is rather bizarre. Even some of the highly respected senior predecessors are viewed by outsiders as possessing terrible reputations, borderline notorious. We must plan everything carefully."
Chapter 388