Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 698 - 628: Worth It

Muffled booms crisscrossed the sky, their force even overwhelming the thunder that filled the heavens.

Suspended high above, Suo Luo instinctively glanced down, its pupils contracting sharply.

Hundreds, even thousands, of whirlpools abruptly rose from the river’s surface, varying in size and speed, like the opened eyes of a hundred-eyed giant.

The Cultivators damaging the river embankment had not yet recovered from the tinnitus caused by the massive explosion when they felt the earth shake violently. Some quick-reacting Cultivators seized the moment and flew into the air to avoid the earthquake. Those who reacted slower, or lacked the ability to fly, stumbled and fell. Some plunged into fissures in the rock, while others were swept away by the torrent, vanishing into the churning, muddy waters.

The river embankment collapsed completely. Yellow river water roared down from the breached dam, its leading froth forming a straight line, charging like the White Horse Yicong towards the dilapidated city. This time, it was not just buildings that were leveled; even the soil layers were shifting. Violent tremors coupled with water erosion caused widespread soil liquefaction. Further off, entire blocks of buildings, organized by workshops, began to shift. They drifted before finally toppling and collapsing.

What in the world is that noise? Hovering high in the sky, Shangyang swallowed hard. Xingzhou City was completely unrecognizable; only vague remnants of walls were visible in the vast yellow waters.

Ping He, clad in armor and silent until now, finally spoke, his voice low and gruff, "It’s over."

As Ping He had said, the most dangerous crest of the flood had narrowly passed in this manner, and this also meant that person could finally act.

In the sky, Lian Xuanyao flicked his left hand. Vast talisman power twisted the earth, causing cracks to rip open across its surface. Tons of river water, carrying debris and rubble, surged into these openings, forming whirlpools large and small that led to bottomless, dark depths. The colossal flood, once capable of submerging several Domains and displacing millions, was now visibly receding and shrinking.

The life lamp has gone out. Yuan Sou is dead; there’s no saving him. Suo Luo’s expression shifted several times. It then made a decision, removed the jade hairpin from its head, and swept it through the air. "Let’s go!"

BUZZ—

Where the tip of the hairpin passed, the air rippled. With a surge of intense Spiritual Energy, a semi-transparent corridor over a thousand meters long materialized. At the end of the corridor lay a vast desert. The desert basked under an unforgiving sun; through the blurry heat haze, one could only see endless dunes and a complex talisman array buried among them. This jade hairpin, named Desert Travel Record, was a Mutated Object unearthed from the Western Regions. Its original owner was lost to history, and its effect was to open a teleportation array to any desert in the world. And the magnificent talisman array, poised for activation, served as a blatant deterrent: anyone other than members of Zhao Ming who dared to pass through the passage would be blasted to smithereens.

Members of Zhao Ming stepped into the corridor one by one, their forms gradually turning translucent. Ya Jiu, who had been lurking underground, emerged from the collapsed buildings, flew into the air, and also entered the corridor.

The few dozen remaining slaves, realizing Zhao Ming was about to flee, disregarded everything, took to the air, and rushed towards the corridor, shouting, "Take us with you!"

"We beg you! We’ve fought and nearly died for Zhao Ming!"

"Take us too! Yu Country won’t spare us!"

These slaves had participated in destroying the embankment, incurring a blood feud with Yu Country. If they fell into the hands of the garrison, even a swift death would be a luxury.

"Scram! You think you’re worthy?" Feilian spat. These Cultivators had spent years confined underground, digging tunnels. No matter how ferocious they might have been before, years of suffering had eroded their fighting spirit and mental fortitude, making further Cultivation breakthroughs impossible for them.

Yan Fu, standing beside him, was even more direct, swinging a fist and sending a slave Cultivator who tried to hitch a ride flying.

The implication was clear: let these slaves scatter and flee to divert the attention of the garrison and the Academic Palace, buying time for Zhao Ming’s retreat.

"Take them with us," Ya Jiu suddenly said. "They might be useful later."

Feilian frowned, but seeing Suo Luo did not react, he said no more and gestured for Yan Fu to let them pass.

Seeing this, the group of slaves immediately rushed into the corridor, their stiff faces contorting into expressions of gratitude.

The corridor continued to dematerialize. Far off on the horizon, the white gleam of Sword Qi was already visible—Luoyang’s Academic Palace and garrison had received word and would soon arrive.

The only one who had not yet evacuated the scene was Jun Qianzi.

"..."

He looked at the collapsing land and the slowly receding floodwaters, his face showing not anger or fury, but a hint of surprise and amazement.

My martial nephew... he killed Yuan Sou and collapsed the riverbed?

Jun Qianzi recovered from his astonishment, shook his head with a smile, and said, "It seems I still underestimated him."

"We all underestimated him," Lian Xuanyao said calmly from a thousand meters away, at the center of the most violent wind and thunder.

WHOOSH—

A strong wind blew, causing Lian Xuanyao’s sleeves to flap violently, revealing his right arm. The arm, already pitch-black and withered like charred wood, now looked even more ghastly. Its skin was gone, exposing dried tendons and dark red, desiccated bloodlines. One could only wonder how such an arm could still move.

The Heavenly Person Five Decays were not limited to his arm. Dark red lines spread from the limb across his other extremities and torso. Patches of skin constantly turned into luminescent dust, scattering in the wind like glittering sand.

"Was it worth it?" Jun Qianzi asked, gazing at the dust drifting in the wind with regret.

The Heavenly Person Five Decays was an ancient threshold all Cultivators faced, impossible to cross, only to delay. Lian Xuanyao had once reached the Cliff Realm, like the Dao Ancestor, Buddha, and Haotian Prophet, and had seen the vista beyond that line. Even with the Heavenly Person Five Decays upon him, he could have extended his lifespan further by using his Cultivation sparingly and dedicating himself to quiet meditation. Yet, he had defied the heavens time and again.

Now, his decaying body was overwhelmed. The decline originating from his Divine Soul could no longer be concealed. The agony he endured every moment surpassed any torture known in the Mortal World.

"Wasn’t it worth it?" Lian Xuanyao retorted.

The flood had not swept away all hope. The vast waters peaked and then receded, and signs of life appeared once more. People clutching planks floated on the water. Cries for help rose from the tops of ruined buildings. On distant hills, the shadowy figures of survivors gathered, using sticks, fishing nets, and other crude tools to rescue those drifting downstream.

"Jun! Qian! Zi!" Feilian’s shout echoed from below. Several garrison Cultivators had already arrived and were recklessly attacking Zhao Ming, attempting to disrupt the corridor.

The auras of more and more Cultivators appeared on the horizon, drawing nearer.