The calamitous destiny of the Zhao Realm drew to a close, leaving devastation in its wake. Once, the Zhao Realm had boasted a Dao Master and hundreds of Immortals, while beings of the Supreme realm had been too numerous to count.
Yet through this upheaval, the ranks of its Immortals and Supremes had plummeted drastically, leaving merely twenty to thirty percent of their former numbers, while ordinary immortals and mortals had suffered catastrophic casualties.
The Zhao Realm of old could have been counted among the mightiest universes under the other shore's dominion. Now, it had abruptly plunged into the lower-middle tier.
Daoist Wukong tracked down the Crown Prince of the Zhao Realm, son of Emperor Lord Zhao He, who had survived the turmoil.
"Didn't Senior Brother Shenghai tell you that eliminating Immortals could stave off the calamitous destiny?" Daoist Wukong asked. "Why did you still unleash a slaughter against immortals and mortals alike?"
The Crown Prince of the Zhao Realm sneered. "I, too, am an Immortal, one of the rulers of the Zhao Realm! If I betrayed my status as a ruler and struck at fellow Immortals, which of them would ever submit to my rule? When that happened, the dead one would be me! With calamitous destiny looming over us, my only choice was to unite the Immortals and strike against the mortals and lesser immortals. In the midst of catastrophe, our survival is far more valuable than that of mortals!"
Daoist Wukong smashed his skull with a single blow of his staff, obliterating his primordial spirit. Shouldering the bloodstained golden staff, he strode off, sneering, "Heh heh, just another stubborn old coot..."
Li Xiao slowly regained consciousness. Finding Zhangsun Shenghai nowhere in sight, she breathed a sigh of relief. Hastily sensing for the calamitous destiny, she felt a chill seize her heart.
She could not sense even a trace of the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny!
Just then, Lu Yiren's voice reached her: "Senior Sister Li, the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny is over."
"Over?"
Li Xiao was startled. Dao Master Hua had dispatched her and two junior brothers on this mission specifically to claim the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny, nurturing them so they could prove their Dao and attain Dao through calamitous destiny, thereby allowing the other shore to master calamitous destiny.
She had long served under Dao Master Hua as a serving maiden. Though seemingly prestigious, her standing was neither high nor low. If she could branch out independently and become a Dao Lord of Calamitous Destiny, her status would far outstrip that of a mere handmaiden.
Thus, she had been determined to claim this calamitous destiny at all costs, ruthlessly eliminating her two junior brothers on the Chaos Sea without a second thought.
Yet human calculations fell short of heaven's design; in the Zhao Realm, she had run into Lu Yiren and then Zhangsun Shenghai.
Both men possessed monstrous strength, especially Zhangsun Shenghai—even with her and Lu Yiren joining forces, Zhangsun Shenghai had knocked her unconscious with a single blow!
Now that she had awakened, everything was over.
Lu Yiren stepped forward and consoled her, "Zhangsun Shenghai was right about one thing: why must calamitous destiny be plundered? One can just as well comprehend it on one's own. Even though the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny has ended, if we build upon our insights from this journey, follow this path, and put in painstaking effort, we too can attain Dao through calamitous destiny in the future."
Li Xiao gave a cold snort. "Attaining Dao that way, who knows what year or month it would take!"
Taishi had also been knocked out by Zhangsun Shenghai and had just awakened. That they had not been devoured by the two Dao Master corpses was sheer good fortune.
Now that the Zhao Realm's calamitous destiny had concluded, they had no choice but to return to the other shore and report back to the three Dao Masters.
Meanwhile, Xu Ying, Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, and the others had arrived beneath the sala tree at the border of the universe, preparing for the journey home. Zhangsun Shenghai was aboard another emerald rock multi-decked vessel, likewise preparing to return to the other shore.
The group met, exchanging glances in silence.
Suddenly, a golden beam flew in from afar, landing upon Xu Ying's emerald rock multi-decked vessel. It was Daoist Wukong, shouldering his golden staff.
One end of the golden staff still dripped with Dao blood—patter, patter—evidently the gore of an Immortal.
The monkey wore a grim expression, exuding a murderous aura. "Slaughtered a wicked scoundrel. I'm satisfied now. When do we set sail?"
Xu Ying laughed. "We set sail right now. Shenghai, isn't it lonely sailing by yourself? Come aboard your martial uncle's ship. We have plenty of company, and we can chat about the wind and the moon along the way—it'll be quite pleasant."
Zhangsun Shenghai smiled upon hearing this. "How could your nephew dare refuse?" With that, he stowed his emerald rock multi-decked vessel and boarded Xu Ying's ship.
Xu Ying shifted his gaze to Lu Yiren, Li Xiao, and Taishi, smiling. "Fellow Daoists, all of us gained some comprehension of the Dao of Calamitous Destiny on this journey, yet none obtained it in full. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. There is still room on my ship—why not travel together?"
Lu Yiren chuckled. "Since Fellow Daoist Xu extends an invitation, how could I decline?" With that, he too put away his multi-decked vessel and stepped aboard Xu Ying's ship.
Taishi hesitated for a moment before stowing his vessel as well, offering Xu Ying an apologetic smile. "Forgive the intrusion."
Li Xiao hesitated as well, but in the end, she stepped onto Xu Ying's ship. The crowd catalyzed the multi-decked vessel and set sail back toward the other shore.
At the same time, the Heaven and Earth Elegance Pagoda slowly faded away, returning to the other shore.
Daoji Heaven, Mount Jiuqiu.
Dao Master Luo retrieved the Elegance Pagoda and addressed Dao Master Lin and Dao Master Hua: "Fellow Dao Brothers, though the calamitous destiny weighing on the other shore has receded, the calamitous destiny clinging to us Dao Masters still remains. It must be eliminated."
Dao Master Lin stood up. "Since preparations have long been in place, let the selected fellow Daoists shoulder our calamitous destiny and meet the tribulation in our stead."
Dao Master Hua also rose to take his leave. "Gentlemen, eliminate the calamity as swiftly as possible, lest long nights breed too many dreams."
Hua and Lin departed one after another. Dao Master Luo raised a hand; the Heaven and Earth Elegance Pagoda spun, shrinking until it rested in his palm. He smiled. "Time for me to eliminate my calamity as well. Fellow Daoist Duanmu, you will have to bear the hardship this time."
His chariot rolled out of Mount Jiuqiu, streaking across the sky of Daoji Heaven, and soon descended into the mortal realm.
The mortal realm of the other shore was extraordinarily exalted compared to other universes, boasting countless celestial mountains and blessed lands, far more splendid and luminous even than the Immortal Courts and immortal realms of other universes.
Yuanfu Abbey on Mount Wulao was an ancient site. Back in the day, when the people of the other shore had journeyed to Tianjing and learned many cultivation methods and divine powers from the people of Tianjing, the very first sacred ground they established upon returning to the other shore was Yuanfu Abbey on Mount Wulao.
However, Yuanfu Abbey on Mount Wulao had long since fallen into ruin and abandonment. A catastrophe of Dao pollution had once occurred here, annihilating all living creatures for ten thousand li around, and as a result, no one dared set foot here again.
Even today, traces left by that Dao pollution were still visible across the Mount Wulao region. The surrounding peaks were riddled with eroded holes, the flora was twisted and grotesque, and squirming vines crawled everywhere across the ground.
The river water had a sickly green sheen, burping bushel-sized bubbles that burst into billows of green mist. These vapors drifted through the air, fusing into toxic miasma that snuffed out all life in its path.
At that moment, an elderly man in long green robes with a flowing beard walked up. He was slender of frame, with an archaic, austere countenance that gave him a somewhat rigid appearance.
"Back then, I was the one who founded Yuanfu Abbey."
Just then, a voice rumbled from within Yuanfu Abbey like rolling thunder. "When I completed my studies and returned from Tianjing all those years ago, my heart was set on imparting these wondrous arts to the people of the other shore, so that they too might grow strong."
The long-bearded elder walked into the abbey as the voice continued: "Yet how could I have known that proving the Dao would bring about such bizarre occurrences? When I proved my Dao here, I was met with resistance from the original Heavenly Daos of the other shore, resulting in an outbreak of Great Dao pollution."
The long-bearded elder entered the main hall of Yuanfu Abbey, where a colossal ancient god sat in the center with his back turned to him.
The ancient god radiated a profound, unfathomable aura that connected with heaven and earth, impossibly aloft and vast.
Without looking back, he continued, "The outcome of that Great Dao pollution was that the original Heavenly Daos of the other shore were completely obliterated. Likewise, it led to the tragic deaths of countless people. It was precisely because of that pollution that an epiphany struck me."
The long-bearded elder was tall and lean, but only compared to ordinary mortals; against this ancient god, he looked exceedingly diminutive.
Yet he carried a remarkable bearing, as though he were the one boundless and vast, and the ancient god the puny one.
The ancient god slowly rose to his feet. His immense body swayed, making even this outlander palace feel cramped.
"My realization was this: the native Heavenly Daos of the other shore were too base and unworthy of existing. If the other shore wished to become Tianjing, if it wished to surpass Tianjing, it had to thoroughly destroy its native Daos!"
He turned around slowly. He was a member of the other shore's native sacred race, sinewy and towering, looking down upon the green-robed, long-bearded elder below.
"Sure enough, the other shore grew ever stronger, ruling over more and more universes. But one day, we sensed a peculiar catastrophe silently descending upon us, coiling around us tighter and tighter, heavier and heavier. Facing such a tribulation, we felt only dread. In the end, we chose to eradicate a portion of our own kind to lessen the calamitous destiny."
Gazing at the green-robed elder, he seemed to speak to him yet also to himself: "Ultimately, I was defeated and died at the hands of Dao Master Hua. Never did I imagine that after tens of millions of years, someone would actually awaken me. I figured that calamitous destiny must have staged a comeback, filling Hua and the others with terror."
The long-bearded elder tilted his head up and asked, "Dao Master Duanmu?"
The ancient god said, "I am Duanmu. You have come to kill me—I sense killing intent radiating from you. Did Dao Master Hua send you? Heh heh, he truly is a formidable figure. When he slaughtered us back then, some Dao Masters were completely obliterated with innate numinous treasures, leaving no possibility of resurrection. Others, like me, were merely slain and sealed, but not wiped out entirely."
Dao Master Duanmu sneered mockingly. "He was stockpiling food! Perhaps having lived through famine back then, he was terrified of starvation, so he hoarded us Dao Masters as emergency rations to consume when calamitous destiny returned!"
His expression suddenly turned cold, and he sneered, "You were able to track me down because of the innate numinous treasure I claimed, the Hongmeng Dao Tree, wasn't it?"
He summoned forth a Dao tree. It was condensed from Hongmeng Qi, a Great Dao spiritual root from the Chaos Sea, draped with strands of purple vapor and brimming with boundless power!
Dao Master Duanmu said coldly, "Back then, Dao Master Hua feared I might revive, so he used the Hongmeng Dao Tree to seal me. Yet when I broke free this time, I was actually able to take this spiritual root with me. Dao Master Hua must have tampered with it, deliberately letting me take it!"
Pausing, he continued, "I have refined this treasure a thousand times over, yet I have never been able to locate where Dao Master Hua hid his brand. Since you are his man, could you tell me?"
The long-bearded elder shook his head slowly. "I was able to track you down not because of the Hongmeng Dao Tree, but because I cultivate the Dao of Slaughter."
Dao Master Duanmu was bewildered, but the long-bearded elder had no interest in explaining. He directly catalyzed the Dao of Slaughter, and a jade-green sword light erupted from the earth, shooting straight for Dao Master Duanmu!
Dao Master Duanmu sneered. He activated a Dao Master-grade technique, mobilized cave abysses, and simultaneously channeled the Dao power of the Heavenly Daos from hundreds of universes to bless himself!
He wielded the Hongmeng Dao Tree. The might that this Chaos spiritual root unleashed in his hands was incomparable to the power Xu Ying, Qingxuan, and the others could muster from the Four Innate Banners of the same rank!
As the Hongmeng Dao Tree crashed down, Dao power formed tens of thousands of auspicious vapors and multicolored rays that whistled and whirled, shredding everything to pieces!
The sword in the long-bearded elder's hand thrust forward. A thousand machinations stirred; stars fell like rain, dancing like fish and dragons!
The killing intent filling heaven and earth severed all Dao power—even the cosmic strength Dao Master Duanmu had borrowed from other universes was severed by the sword light!
Horror washed over Dao Master Duanmu's face, and he blurted out, "The Dao of Slaughter! Someone finally mastered it!"
The sword threaded through thousands of branches of the Hongmeng Dao Tree and pierced Dao Master Duanmu's throat. With a gentle flick upward, Dao Master Duanmu's mountain-sized head split cleanly into two, toppling to the left and right!
His eyes remained wide, the terror within them lingering.
The long-bearded elder retrieved his sword, reached out a withered hand, and caught the Hongmeng Dao Tree. The innate numinous treasure shrank rapidly until it was no larger than a potted bonsai.
The long-bearded elder put the Hongmeng Dao Tree away.
Dao Master Duanmu collapsed to his knees with a thud before him. Terror still lingered in his eyes, but his life force was rapidly ebbing away.
Behind him, the cave abysses connecting to hundreds of universes churned with increasing sluggishness before abruptly collapsing and shattering with thunderous rumbles!
"The Nine Innate Daos: Karma, Calamitous Destiny, Slaughter—in that order."
The long-bearded elder raised his hand, sliding the Immortal Slaying Sword into the scabbard on his back, and said indifferently, "Slaughter is born of calamitous destiny; therefore, no calamitous destiny in the world can escape my senses. If Dao Master Hua and the others wish to extinguish their calamitous destinies, they had best find someone else."
He turned and departed, leaving Dao Master Duanmu's corpse behind.
The corpse shuddered, and every Dao within it suddenly snapped and detonated in unison. Even formless Daos were slashed into dust by the Dao of Slaughter!
Moments later, a chariot rolled up with Dao Master Luo seated inside. The carriage was small, just large enough for him alone, and required no draft beasts, traveling wherever he willed.
"Fellow Daoist Duanmu, I have come to see my old brother off on his journey!"
Dao Master Luo drove leisurely into Yuanfu Abbey with a smile on his face, only to freeze when his gaze landed upon Dao Master Duanmu's corpse.
His hand trembled, clutching the chariot's armrest tightly to keep from losing his composure.
"Tong... Tian..."
Dao Master Luo ground his teeth with a loud creak, overcome with rage. Letting out a sudden roar, he spurred his chariot through the air, heading straight for Biyou Palace!
Only halfway there did he regain his composure, halting the chariot with an erratic, stormy look on his face.
"Tongtian came to kill Duanmu and rob my calamitous destiny simply to avenge Zhangsun Shenghai and Xu Ying! If I charge into Biyou Palace and fight him to the death, Brother Hua and Brother Lin won't necessarily help me—they'd rather see us both gravely wounded!"
Dao Master Luo exhaled a breath of turbid air and muttered under his breath, "The only option now is patience—to find another Dao Master to die in my place. But only four Dao Masters were prepared this time, and Ji Cang just had to run off to the Zhao Realm with Xu Ying..."
Right at that moment, Dao Master Ji Cang arrived by boat, returning to the Chaos Sea ferry.
Chapter 798