Is There No End to This?

Nowadays, even children knew better than to sign contracts blindly. God only knew how many traps were buried in the fine print hidden away in some forgotten corner. Contracts of the Tianyuan lineage carried risks that went far beyond even that. Their binding power dug deep into one's soul and consciousness, brooking no disobedience. In particular, contracts forged within the Shadow of the Tower were harsher still. Held in the grip of a vile fiend like Duke Wuyou, even those who also belonged to the Great Sin had zero room for resistance. This was absolute dominion. After all the years spent in preparation, he had not only secured the Sower's backing and investment, but had also managed to rope members of the Great Sin's Four Divisions and Six Sects into his expedition—all for this very day. At this moment, aside from his own subordinates and confidants, there was Shehri, the Rotten-Scaled Wolf dispatched by the Sower, the White Stag Sin-Bearers who followed him, a core lineage branch of Wulou Temple, the mind-adepts of the Tianxin Society, and even Decayed Wind and Blood Eye from the Thousand Islands—not to mention countless other cannon fodder. It was a veritable rogues' gallery, a roster even more motley than that of the Evil Transmutation Cult. Had the Evil Transmutation Cult not spent these past years flirting with that brat from Changle, and had Lu Changsheng not been impossible to place an ounce of trust in, Duke Wuyou would never have passed on them either. There was no hesitating or dragging of feet; everything had been meticulously planned long ago. Duke Wuyou quickly made the assignments, dividing the force into five teams. Five ancient tallies, some intact and some fractured, were distributed into the hands of the five leaders. "An audience at the sacrificial temple is akin to paying homage to the Supreme Sovereign; it has its own fixed rites, and not a single step may be overlooked. In a moment, I shall strike the Audience Bell here to commune with the Royal Domain and unseal the barrier." Duke Wuyou gave his final instructions, emphasizing the crux: "Once the bell tolls, you must proceed to the five quarters and ignite the flames atop the five Towers of Audience to awaken the sacrificial temple—" "I trust I need say no more." Tucking his hands into his sleeves, Duke Wuyou bowed deeply to everyone with profound earnestness. "Success or failure hinges on this single move. I entreat you all to exert your utmost!" Behind him, his retainers dropped to their knees immediately. "We will not fail your trust!" The others chimed in with solemn oaths and pledges, presenting an inspiring picture of solidarity and commendable morale. As for how much of it was genuine and how much was mere playacting, that hardly mattered. Bound by the contract, they shared both glory and doom alike. Besides, if Duke Wuyou perished here, what way out would any of them have left? Once the five teams split up and departed in haste, Duke Wuyou sat upright before the rusted bell, holding his breath in rapt concentration under the watchful guard of his retainers. From behind the fissure in his chest, the Tiger Tally Seed rose once more. An endless stream of viscous darkness poured down. In its circulation, the rusted bell seemed to be restored, and amidst the intertwining pitch-black and pure gold, a brilliant gleam emerged. Duke Wuyou drew a deep breath. Delicately cradling a small gold-inlaid mallet, he raised it and struck the bronze. The instant collision between the mallet and the ancient bell stirred up a terrifying tremor far beyond expectation. The Tiger Tally shuddered violently, nearly impossible to sustain. The shrill, piercing chime echoed in all directions, sweeping across the entire Border Realm in an instant. The towering wall before him, like a wall cleaving the clouds, seemed to tremble faintly alongside it. Behind the wall, in the darkness cast by the Shadow of the Tower, ten thousand beams of golden light abruptly surfaced. The solemn sight of boundless armored warriors standing guard in ancient times re-emerged from history. A magnificent gate manifested upon the wall. Interlacing reliefs and ornate patterns coalesced into a broken, grotesque, and savage face, looking down upon the petitioner outside the archway. Boundless pressure crashed down from above! Duke Wuyou's figure swayed for a second, pushed to his absolute limit, but he quickly regained his composure. Remaining prostrate in homage, he slipped an ancestral jade tally from his sleeves. Blood welled from his slashed palm and seeped into the grooves of the tally, awakening a faint, hazy glow to verify his identity. The gigantic face remained impassive, uttering not a word, merely glaring downward with cold detachment. Waiting for a response from the distance. An agonizing ordeal with no end in sight began. Who knew how much time had passed, but Duke Wuyou was drenched in sweat and ashen-faced by the time the first flicker of flame finally rose from a ruined tower in the distance. The chill on the giant face lessened by a fraction, and the crushing weight lifted ever so slightly. Then came the second, the third, the fourth... As progress approached completion, Duke Wuyou could no longer contain himself, his face lit with impatient delight. The moment the fifth plume of fire surged from its tower, the giant face's gaze finally lowered, and what seemed like a faint smile crept across that savage, frigid visage. The mechanisms behind the gate engaged, groaning as though it were about to slowly swing open. Yet at the very instant everyone beamed with joy, they watched that fifth flame—newly kindled—abruptly snuff out. The Rite of Audience had been severed! BOOM!!! The gate, which had parted by a sliver, slammed shut. The giant face reappeared, vicious and berserk. Bloody light welled in its eyes as it glared down in furious outrage. What vile traitor dares trespass into the imperial palace?! Die! In an instant, Duke Wuyou's face turned deathly pale, a shudder of pure dread racking his body. But before he could even react, the ferocious face on the gate suddenly softened once more. In the distance, the flame had reignited. Duke Wuyou stared dumbfounded. At long last, just as he was about to heave a sigh of relief, he saw it again— The flame snuffed out once more. [?] Duke Wuyou froze in disbelief. Having been mocked repeatedly, the giant face flew into a towering rage. Fierce light erupted from its blood-red eyes as the Law of Tianyuan intertwined. A mountain-crushing pressure crashed down again, grinding Duke Wuyou into mincemeat. A mangled mass of bloody flesh, Duke Wuyou twitched, instinctively trying to resist. But just as he managed to summon a sliver of strength, he felt the crushing weight that was about to pulverize him vanish into nothingness once more. The flame had relit. Duke Wuyou completely snapped. With bloodshot eyes, he whipped his head around toward the distance and roared, "You—" And right before his eyes, The flame went out yet-yet-yet again. "—Motherfucker." In the brief, dead silence, Duke Wuyou rigidly turned his head back toward the reappearing face upon the gate. The giant face was staring right back at him, its hollow visage dripping with malice and fury. Duke Wuyou closed his eyes. The last thing showing in them was a numb glint of tears. "Is there no fucking end to this?" BOOM!!! *** Ten minutes earlier, in the southern sector of the sacrificial temple, amidst countless towering edifices. Master Ji, the diligent demolition worker, had already begun his day of hard labor. With a pickaxe and shovel slung over his shoulder, he had thrown himself heart and soul into the endless cause of demolition. Work hard on sunny days, work smart on rainy days, work like a beast by day, and burn the midnight oil by night! Just get it done! An opportunity like this came once in a blue moon. How could he not contribute lavishly to this grand episode of Imperial Cemetery Shopping? And so, pickaxe swinging, he sweated profusely amidst a crowd of lingering phantoms and various odds and ends, never forgetting to offer polite greetings. "Mm, mm, hello everyone, how are you, busy, all busy, excuse me, mind your feet, fold up your tray tables please—hm? Where did such a huge piece come from?" Amidst his busy work, Ji Jue looked down and discovered a massive mural assembled from gemstones upon a wall. It looked like someone's portrait, though it was already riddled with cracks, blurry, and thoroughly scrambled, making it impossible to tell who it depicted. No matter. Ji Jue could hear their call. The gems twinkled, their light reflecting in Ji Jue's eyes as if pouring their hearts out to a visitor from a thousand years later. Ji Jue beamed with delight. "Yes, I love you guys too!" Let us stay together forever from now on! Without hesitation, he pried every single one loose. Leaving behind a huge patch of bare wall didn't sit right with him, so Ji Jue simply ground up some rubble into dust to patch it up, painted a Welcoming Pine over it for good measure, and tossed in two virgin attendants beneath it for the Emperor. Life wasn't easy for anyone; you just had to make do! Just look at those phantoms around him weeping tears of blood, and the dozen or so statues twitching violently and doing crunches on the spot. They were clearly touched beyond words! "Don't mention it, really, don't mention it." Humming a tune, Ji Jue sauntered off. Just as the destitute could hardly imagine the joys of the filthy rich, the sheer luxury and opulence of the Eternal Empire—no matter how many times he had heard Ye Xian talk about it—was something one could only truly appreciate upon seeing it in person. It really was damn joyful! Every single corner practically had 'I'M LOADED' plastered all over it. Even places that seemed plain and unassuming at first glance revealed a hidden lavishness upon closer inspection. Every blade of grass and branch of wood was a treasure amassed back then by scouring the entire world. Ji Jue's auto-loot simply could not be switched off. He had lost count of how many trips back and forth he had made. Never mind the precious materials that had gone completely extinct in the outside world—even the window curtains here were premium goods. They looked dusty and unimpressive, but every single fiber turned out to be the fur of some calamity beast. Ragged as they were, once washed and unraveled, they would make superb materials to serve as carriers for spiritus circuits. Ji Jue simply wrapped them around himself. After the initial daze, he could keenly deduce the purpose and function of the various buildings. Having passed the starving stage where he wouldn't even spare the floorboards, he learned to be discerning and weigh his options. Well, mainly because he had pried up enough floorboards already and needed to stock up on other things— In particular, atop a statue in a grand hall, he had discovered a full suit of ornate armor cast from Spirit-Infused Resplendent Silver. Though covered in dust and slightly chipped, the intricate craftsmanship and carving on every detail left even Ji Jue marveling in awe. Most precious of all was the majestic, splendid mask on the statue's head. It was a masterpiece of unparalleled craftsmanship; even a fleeting glance carried a tangible aura of authority. How could he not pry it off for a proper appreciation? Once he grew tired of looking at it, he would just return it! They had a long time ahead together; there was no need to stand on ceremony between family. The biggest haul of the entire trip was when Ji Jue casually cracked open the vault inside a building that looked like a bank. The literally mountain-high piles of gold ingots left him completely breathless. And what surprised him even more was what lay in the deepest recess of the vault, beneath a heavy felt tarp—a coin press that was perfectly preserved, authentic and in pristine condition?! "Uh..." Ji Jue sucked in several sharp breaths, feeling his blood pressure and heart rate spike out of control. A fierce battle between good and evil seemed to rage within his heart. After agonizing for a long while, he ultimately suppressed this ravenous, heinous greed with a long sigh. No one could earn all the money in the world; with money, having enough was plenty. Besides, even if he took it all, what good would it do? How could one man hoard all the fine treasures under heaven? Better to let the treasure decide for itself... And so, five seconds later, the coin press sprouted legs and decided to leave with Ji Jue. Just as well—he was tired from walking and happened to need a mount! Legs crossed atop the coin press animated by Deus Ex Machina, Ji Jue hoisted his sack and hummed a tune, strolling leisurely through the streets toward the station as if taking a stroll in a courtyard garden. Racing against the clock, eager and impatient— Just one more load! Just one! However, a few blocks away from the station, the moment he rounded the corner, his vision blacked out— He ran headlong into a dense, looming crowd. Caught completely off guard, enemies met on a narrow path. [!]