Chapter 134: Heaven and Earth Fall Silent, Forever Plunged into Darkness (5)

A small, blue, fluffy creature sat where Wu Zui should have fallen, looking up at the sky and searching in a panic.

Nearby, the furious Jing Qing was about to pursue the fleeing leader of the World Purification Society, but was stopped by Wu Xiang.

"Spare him. The mission comes first. We are out of time!"

Wu Xiang understood the resentment in Jing Qing’s heart. If not for the ancient ritual performed by the black-robed figure, humanity would never have suffered such a catastrophe. Unfortunately, such was the will of heaven. All they could do was defy fate to carve out a sliver of hope.

"You are absolutely right, fellow Daoist!"

Jing Qing regained his composure and quickly sat cross-legged. Wu Xiang sat opposite him, doing the same.

"The three flowers meld into one, the five elements converge into a cloud..."

"With supreme, right, and perfect enlightenment..."

Taking advantage of the moment when the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao was severely wounded and unable to act, Jing Qing and Wu Xiang chanted rapidly. As their voices rose, their domains began to contract, their energy gathered, and eventually, even their physical bodies began to fade.

Jing Qing transformed into a black-and-white lotus, surrounded by two intertwined streams of black and white energy, while Wu Xiang turned into a brilliant, golden, spherical sarira.

The light from the lotus and the sarira became the only radiance in this pitch-black world. Their chanting echoed throughout the entire Blue Star. An invisible force, woven into the sound, caused the invading ghosts and monsters to suffer splitting headaches. This power seemed to hold a potent restraint against them.

However, the final power condensed by Wu Xiang and Jing Qing was not meant to attack the dark clouds shrouding the world, nor to slay the invading monsters.

The two streams of black and white energy continued to contract until they reached their limit. Then, they collided with a violent crash that resonated across the entire Blue Star. Yet, strangely, it did not harm anything on the main peak of Longshen Ridge, not even the smallest blade of grass nearby.

The energy released by the explosion, however, tore open a mysterious space. Inside, a white river seemed to flow eternally. Looking into the rift, one could see neither the source nor the end of the river.

The golden sarira, now Wu Xiang, plunged into the gap.

A moment later, a thunderous sound echoed from within the mysterious space containing the white river.

With that roar, the humans on Blue Star felt as if a shackle had been lifted from their bodies. Even the magnetic energy that had been rapidly dissipating within them returned to its original state.

The invading monsters, however, felt as if an invisible chain had been placed upon them. It seemed that after entering Blue Star, they could no longer attack humans immediately, and they could not remain there indefinitely.

This was the law that Wu Xiang had condensed with his own power and inscribed into the rules of the Heavenly Dao.

The stronger a monster’s power, the more severe the suppression it faced upon arriving at Blue Star. However, when suppressing powerful monsters, the strength Wu Xiang left within the laws of the Heavenly Dao would be consumed faster, until it became useless.

This was a reprieve that Wu Xiang and Jing Qing had successfully bought for humanity. Though they paid with their lives, they had no regrets.

The mysterious space torn open by the pair quickly closed until it vanished. The pitch-black Blue Star turned a dull, gray haze. As for the sun? It would likely never rise as usual again, for the monsters did not like it.

The protagonists of the world did not like it, so it did not exist in the world.

With the law’s suppression of high-level monsters, several seven-star entities, including the six monarchs of the dead, were directly expelled back to the Underworld. Until the power left behind by Wu Xiang and his companion dissipated, they could not return.

Although these troublesome beings had left, a massive number of six-star monsters and below remained, and humanity was still in grave danger.

On the summit of the main peak of Longshen Ridge, atop the barren mountain, nothing remained but red crystals and a small, blue, fluffy creature. It waited in solitude for someone to return, even if it were only a corpse.

***

**Universal Trade Center**

He Ping, who was discussing matters with the Master of the Startling Rainbow Sword, suddenly sensed that Wu Zui had arrived in the space of the Seven Divine Thrones. Upon sensing the severity of Wu Zui’s injuries, his expression turned intrigued.

A moment later, He Ping and Qu Jinghong appeared beside Wu Zui.

"How did he end up like this?" Qu Jinghong asked He Ping, looking at Wu Zui, whose body was charred and displayed almost no signs of life. Though he could sense that Wu Zui was still alive, he was hanging by a mere thread.

"Perhaps some ghost dragged him into another timeline, and he fought himself, who knows? Small problem. You go back first; I need to treat him." He Ping said, pressing his hands against Wu Zui’s back.

A golden energy began to flow, helping the Asking Heart Sword suppress the karmic fire that had already burst through Wu Zui’s body.

...

A long time later, Wu Zui awoke from the boundless darkness.

"Where... where am I?"

Wu Zui shakily raised his body from a jade bed that exuded a chilling cold. His once-carbonized body had returned to its original state. Although his face remained as pale as a corpse’s, he had truly come back to life.

"The Nine Underworld Cold Jade Bed, specifically designed to counteract karmic fire."

A flash of golden light crossed his vision, and He Ping’s calm voice echoed in his ears.

"I didn't die?" Wu Zui asked, somewhat surprised.

When he had seen his karmic fire body erupt and burst through his skin, he had been certain he was done for.

"Why? Are you upset you didn't manage to die?"

He Ping spoke with his usual indifference, though his face wore such a bitter, grudge-filled expression that anyone who didn't know better would think Wu Zui owed him a fortune.

"Tell me one thing: can the dead be resurrected?" Wu Zui looked at He Ping, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes.

"Resurrection? If you mean the girl whose location I was deducing, you need not worry. She isn't dead!" He Ping naturally knew what Wu Zui was asking; he had used the Zhou Tian Star Derivation to review Wu Zui’s entire battle.

"Her body was shattered into pieces by that purple lightning. How could she still be alive?" The flame of hope in Wu Zui’s eyes had just ignited, only to be quickly extinguished.

"Your understanding of death is flawed. Physical death is merely a severe injury; the extinction of the soul is true death. That girl’s soul is currently attached to a blue, cat-like creature. She isn't fully dead yet."

He Ping looked at Wu Zui as if he were looking at an idiot.

"Commander Cat! Can she turn back to her original form?" Wu Zui immediately pressed.

"She is essentially a spirit beast now. For a non-human to take on a human form, she needs at least five-star strength. She’s still young, just keep her as a pet for now." He Ping said dismissively; as long as the soul hadn't perished, everything was simple.

*What do you mean 'keep her as a pet'!* Wu Zui’s face darkened. How did He Ping make this sound so sleazy?

"Were those eyes the Heavenly Dao?" Wu Zui didn't want to continue that topic and asked instead.

"You could say that! It was only a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s consciousness. The true body of the Heavenly Dao hides within the river of time; you cannot kill them from the outside. Unless you charge into the river of time, swim against the current, and slay it at the dawn of the world’s creation, it’s all in vain. It will recover quickly!" He Ping explained the basic state of the Heavenly Dao.

"You must have realized by now that our relationship with the Heavenly Dao consciousness is essentially a death feud. The leader of the World Purification Society in your world was a reincarnation of a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s essence. His goal was to strip humanity of its status as the protagonists of the world and replace them with monsters, using a new species to perfect the rules of the Heavenly Dao and bring it one step closer to the realm of the Great Dao."

He Ping observed Wu Zui’s expression. Seeing him silent, he prepared to use this opportunity to change his perspective and pull him into his camp.

"Furthermore, now that the monsters of your world have become the protagonists, the status of humanity is equivalent to that of cattle or sheep in your eyes. Without the favor of the Heavenly Dao, you are like lambs waiting for the slaughter when facing these monsters. Even if you have the ability to resist, you won't be able to turn the tide."

He Ping pressed his advantage.

"I will go back and see for myself. Thank you for healing me." Wu Zui cupped his hands, and with a flash of red light, he vanished from He Ping’s shop.

After Wu Zui left, He Ping smiled and sighed softly: "This Heavenly Dao consciousness is foolishly cute, actually digging its own grave. I’ll leave the rest to Wu Zui. Once he destroys that world’s Heavenly Dao consciousness, he will naturally become an irreconcilable enemy of the Great Dao consciousness."

"Only humanity are the ones on our side!"

...

Blue Star, China, the main peak of Longshen Ridge.

A flash of red light signaled Wu Zui’s appearance on the barren summit.

The blood left behind after the fading of the Eye of the Heavenly Dao was, to any living being, no less than the most malicious curse in the universe. Once touched by it, the resentment of the world’s rules was enough to cause them to perish rapidly.

Before Wu Zui could even see his surroundings clearly, he felt a weight in his arms. A familiar, fluffy, soft sensation touched his heart.

"Meow..."

"Are you Xiao Keyuan?"

Wu Zui lifted Commander Cat and looked into its large blue eyes, asking.

"Meow!"

The blue, fluffy creature nodded enthusiastically.

"How can you prove it?"

Wu Zui scrutinized the blue fluff and then asked deliberately.

"Meow?"

Xiao Keyuan was so angry that she swung her paws at Wu Zui.

*Prove it? Does scratching your face into a blooming flower count!*

At this moment, to save her idiotic master, Commander Cat’s consciousness had fallen into a deep slumber. Her magnetic energy, equivalent to five-star strength, had vanished without a trace, leaving only the physical prowess of her body. She was, for all intents and purposes, a useless cat.

"Fine, we'll talk when we get back. I'll find you some paper and a pen."

Wu Zui tucked Xiao Keyuan, now a blue, fluffy creature, directly into his shirt. He couldn't let such a weak and pathetic little thing die.

Xiao Keyuan breathed a sigh of relief and poked her small head out from Wu Zui’s shirt to observe the outside world.

(End of chapter)