Remnants

A spark of lively vital energy rose from the distant horizon as True Monarch Chuhe arrived, treading on clouds. Ordinary cultivators could only catch the flitting silhouette of the old Daoist, but in the eyes of Wei Yuan, Yanshi, and the others, True Monarch Chuhe rode atop a vast swath of golden radiance, enveloped in billowing clouds of bright yellow aura of merit. A flicker of surprise flashed in True Monarch Bai You's eyes. "Which junior brother of the Hall of Jianmu is this? Why don't I recall him?" Yanshi said, "That is Chuhe, a disciple of Junior Sister Huangyun. When you last emerged from secluded cultivation, he was still in the Dharma Idol realm; now, he has already attained Scenery Command." Bai You nodded in approval. "Attaining sainthood through merit has always been one of the two orthodox paths of the Hall of Jianmu. For him to cultivate such an abundance of merit is truly remarkable. Senior Sister Huangyun must be overjoyed, right?" Yanshi sighed. "You have been in seclusion for so long that there are many matters within the palace I haven't had the chance to tell you. Not long ago, while defending the northern mountain gate, Junior Sister Huangyun suffered grievous wounds. She has already sat in meditation and passed away here in Qingming." "Ah?" Bai You was taken aback. "Back then, Senior Sister Huangyun clearly possessed the demeanor of an immortal in the making, blessed with an unyielding fate and profound fortune. How could she have fallen so suddenly?" Yanshi sighed again. "The workings of heaven and the currents of fate are never set in stone. While we follow the mandates of heaven, there are naturally others who seek to overturn the cosmos. The outcome depends entirely on who prevails in the contest of strength." As Bai You lapsed into silence, Old Daoist Chuhe flew over. Upon spotting Yanshi, the old Daoist bowed immediately, though he did not recognize Bai You. Not one to waste words, Yanshi went straight to the point: "To whom did the Hall of Jianmu pass down its art of harvesting karmic luck? Over the past hundred years, have any True Monarchs been roaming abroad without returning?" "An art of harvesting karmic luck? Where would my Hall of Jianmu come by such a thing?" Old Daoist Chuhe looked entirely baffled. True Monarch Bai You said, "Your Hall of Jianmu's White Dew Qi Gathering Art." Old Daoist Chuhe looked even more puzzled. "Isn't that meant for gathering the medicinal qi and spiritual aura born of immortal herbs and spiritual fowl? How could it be an art of harvesting karmic luck?" True Monarch Bai You said, "It was originally a method for harvesting karmic luck. If you apply only a modest amount of Dao strength, it merely gathers medicinal potency, spirit dew, primordial qi, and the like. But if you exert enough force, you can harvest karmic luck along with them." Old Daoist Chuhe's eyes lit up. "It can be used like that? I'll have to go try it out in a bit!" According to Chuhe, however, the White Dew Qi Gathering Art was a Scenery Command technique, and he had only just learned it himself. He merely knew how to use it, far from having mastered it. At present, there were two other Scenery Command experts in the Hall of Jianmu. One was near the end of his lifespan; having devoted recent years to instructing younger generations, his cultivation had steadily receded, and he was currently making preparations for his final meditation. The other stayed day and night beside the Jianmu sapling, cultivating alongside it, and had not stepped foot outside the Palace of Grand Beginning for decades. This was a secret art of the Hall of Jianmu: cultivating alongside the Jianmu sapling not only nurtured the divine tree, but also benefited one's own cultivation. Presently, everyone throughout the Hall of Jianmu regarded Old Daoist Chuhe as the next hall master, merely waiting for him to reach the late Scenery Command stage before he formally succeeded to the position. Apart from these three Scenery Command masters, no other high-level cultivators were traveling outside. With that, the lead went cold. Yanshi could not divine the origins or background of the one who stole the karmic luck either; clearly, a mighty figure had intervened to erase the karmic ties. Still, True Monarch Bai You was the master of Boundless Abbey after all. While she could not trace the thief, she had means of prevention. Right then and there, she added a little something to Qingming's Great Array of the Heavenly Starlight. Henceforth, the array would do more than merely monitor the heavens and earth; should anyone bearing abnormal karmic luck enter or leave Qingming, the array would instantly detect them. With a mere wave of her hand, releasing a vast wash of starlight, True Monarch Bai You finished adjusting the array. She then said, "The mortal luck here is far too blazing. It makes me deeply uncomfortable to stay. I shall head back first." Once True Monarch Bai You had departed, Yanshi finally spoke. "The divine ability she cultivates allows her to listen to the transformations of heaven and earth's Great Dao. The mortal luck here is far too flourishing; to her ears, it is like an endless clamor, so noisy that she cannot bear to stay long. As I see it, this matter cannot be unraveled for the time being. Let us leave it at that. I cannot remain away from the Immortal Heaven for too long either." Wei Yuan bowed respectfully, seeing Immortal Monarch Yanshi off. At first, Wei Yuan found Immortal Monarch Yanshi's attitude somewhat peculiar. He had seemed remarkably nonchalant, letting the matter drop after just a superficial inquiry, as though there were hidden complexities behind it. As he was pondering this, Old Daoist Chuhe said excitedly, "It just so happens that several of my fellow sect brothers have arrived. Why don't you come meet them?" Only upon asking did Wei Yuan learn that rearranging boundary stones, surveying and demarcating farmland, and constructing water conservancy works brought immense merit, but the sheer workload was tremendous. Feeling he could not manage it alone and unwilling to hoard such a good fortune for himself, Old Daoist Chuhe had summoned seven of his former fellow disciples from the Hall of Jianmu to join in the grand undertaking. These seven cultivators of the Hall of Jianmu were all between the late and consummate stages of the Dharma Idol realm. Each brought anywhere from several to over a dozen disciples and grand-disciples. In total, the contingent numbered nearly a hundred people, accompanied by more than a hundred spiritual fowl and spirit beasts suited to various tasks—a truly grand and imposing procession. Wei Yuan was naturally delighted. He met with the cultivators and offered words of encouragement. The seven Dharma Idol cultivators from the Hall of Jianmu were all far older than Wei Yuan, some even older than True Monarch Xuanyue. Cultivation in the lineage of the Hall of Jianmu progressed rather slowly, but it was exceptionally safe and stable, offering a lifespan longer than that of other lineages. Consequently, they were all accustomed to climbing the ranks at an unhurried pace—though Baoyun was an anomaly. Most disciples of the hall tended trees, grew medicinal herbs, and nurtured spiritual items, living in detachment from worldly strife. Over years of steady accumulation, their numbers of high-level cultivators were abundant, rivaling even the Abbey of Creation. According to Old Daoist Chuhe, he and these seven Dharma Idol cultivators were once known collectively as the Eight Paragons of Jianmu, sharing frequent contact and deep camaraderie. Wei Yuan naturally welcomed the Hall of Jianmu's full-hearted support, arranging accommodations and all daily necessities for them. As for their specific tasks, the Splendor of the Many Realms would assign them in due course, requiring no micromanagement from Wei Yuan. Yet after parting from the group, Wei Yuan suddenly recalled something. Back when he was still taking classes at the Palace of Grand Beginning, he had heard Baoyun recount many anecdotes about the Hall of Jianmu. According to Baoyun, there had only ever been the Seven Disciples of Jianmu in the hall back then; she had never mentioned any "Eight Paragons of Jianmu." At present, nearly all the Dharma Idol and Dao foundation disciples from the Water Moon, Azure Sky, and Jianmu Halls were stationed in Qingming, and more and more were arriving from the Abbey of Creation. Handling mortal affairs day in and day out, these disciples were all brushed by mortal luck to varying degrees. For those who had arrived early on, many had seen significant improvements in their innate aptitudes. Among them, Xu Yi's dharma idol had undergone continuous metamorphosis, already brushing against the threshold of a celestial idol. The next half-month passed without incident, until an urgent dispatch arrived from Xiaoyu at the front line: the Lu clan's defensive line had utterly collapsed, and their ancestral lands were on the verge of falling. She requested that Wei Yuan come in person to oversee the overall situation. This was a matter of grave importance. Wei Yuan immediately led a hundred Golden Pellet Dharma Idol cultivators and three thousand template Dao foundation cultivators aboard large flying boats and rushed to the front. By this time, Wei Yuan had once again accumulated several million strands of azure qi, but such an amount could not withstand a single strike from an immortal, much less a supreme master. Thus, he brought along a host of cultivators to accompany him. With such numbers, the cultivators could already generate a formidable martial aura. An army composed entirely of Dao foundation cultivators was virtually unheard of; only during the peak of the ancient Human Sovereign's campaigns across the realm had an elite cavalry guard made entirely of Dao foundation experts ever been assembled. Departing in force, these cultivators were more than capable of sweeping through the Lu clan's surviving forces like autumn wind scattering withered leaves. Wei Yuan intended to crush the Lu clan's final shred of delusion with overwhelming might. Qingming was not far from the Northern Border, and they reached the front line in just a single day. By then, five outer fortress passes and over a dozen cities of varying sizes surrounding the Lu clan's ancestral lands had already been reduced to rubble, burying countless corpses beneath them before anyone had time to clear them away. According to frontline battle reports, the Lu clan had mobilized the last elites of their clan, and many members of the direct first branch had taken to the battlefield. These core clan members had fought to the death without retreating, only to suffer catastrophic casualties under Qingming's ceaseless day-and-night artillery barrages. Not even one in ten survived. Qingming alone had counted more than a hundred thousand casualties, and the true figure was undoubtedly higher. Now, the surviving Lu clan members had retreated into the final large city at the foot of Ancestral Mountain, completely surrounded by Qingming's army. The corridors connecting the city to the various palaces upon Ancestral Mountain were already within the coverage of Qingming's artillery, kept under constant surveillance by the divine senses of Dharma Idol cultivators. The moment any movement was detected, an artillery barrage would descend immediately. Wei Yuan stood suspended in the air, inspecting the city before him while listening to reports from Xiaoyu and the generals. The city originally housed three hundred thousand people, all of them individuals of high status and power, along with the servants and attendants who served them. As the principal city of the Lu clan, it was built tall and magnificent, and its protective city array was exceptionally formidable. Fueled by spiritual qi supplied directly by Ancestral Mountain, it could withstand a strike from an immortal. With every member of the Lu clan fleeing inside in hopes of surviving behind the array's defenses, the population within the city had swelled to nearly one and a half million. However, food reserves within the city were meager, while the population had multiplied several times over. There was no need to launch an assault; a siege of merely one month would completely exhaust their grain. Yet long delays brought unexpected perils, and Wei Yuan had no intention of waiting around for the city's supplies to run out. Furthermore, even the strongest array had its limits. The power of a Qingming heavy missile was equivalent to a Dharma Idol strike, while a heavy artillery shell equaled a strike from a Dao foundation cultivator. Theoretically, no matter how many times a Dao foundation attack struck, it could never shake such a grand array. Yet the Splendor of the Many Realms had long since concluded that under sustained, saturating barrages from heavy artillery batteries, the protective array would shudder continuously. So long as the impacts were frequent enough, flaws would inevitably emerge in several array discs or formations, or failures would develop in the conduits channeling spiritual power. The moment a minor malfunction occurred in any single point, the array would steadily weaken until it collapsed entirely. The fall of numerous outer fortress passes prior to this had already validated this conclusion. Therefore, Xiaoyu had deployed three thousand heavy artillery pieces in one go, with another thousand in reserve at the rear to replace any damaged guns in the front lines immediately. As for ammunition, one million shells had been prepared, alongside one thousand heavy missiles. With such firepower, bolstered by the three thousand template cultivators and one hundred Golden Pellet masters Wei Yuan had brought, the defensive array and city walls could be breached within three days. When that time came, Qingming's five hundred thousand heavy infantry would trample Ancestral Mountain underfoot. Seeing that all preparations were complete, Wei Yuan circulated his Dao strength, sending a gentle voice echoing throughout the entire city: "I am Wei Yuan. If you open the gates and surrender now, there is still time." The reply was a dharma arrow, whistling straight toward Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan stood motionless. The moment the arrow came within a hundred zhang, it spontaneously combusted without wind, turning to ashes. Having incinerated the dharma arrow with the True Intent of the Evil Sun, Wei Yuan finally raised his hand and pointed toward the front! Ten thousand cannons roared, shaking heaven and earth! Countless shells soared toward the array, bursting into blossoms of brilliant fire. Three days later, of the Lu clan of Ganzhou—once counted among the Seven Great Surnames and Thirteen Prominent Clans—only a single title would remain: Remnants.