Chapter Seventy-Four: Another Sudden Change

A blaze of fury burned in Liu Jianchen’s heart—first, he had nearly fallen victim to a sneak attack; then, his strength had been doubted by Yue Chan. His anger had been stoked to the point of eruption. In an instant, he drew his sword and leaped, slashing directly at the Elder of Divine Mechanisms. The two clashed in midair, sword energy surging and slicing through the air with wild abandon, the battle raging with intensity.

After several fierce exchanges, neither gained the upper hand. The Elder of Divine Mechanisms was, after all, a master of a former generation, with profound battle experience and formidable prowess. For Liu Jianchen, a rising talent, to defeat him in a short span was no easy feat.

The compass in the elder's hand spun rapidly as he glared coldly at the white-robed Sword Immortal before him, fending off Liu Jianchen’s attacks while keeping a wary eye on Yue Chan, who watched from the sidelines. At this moment, he was beset from both front and rear. Though Yue Chan had yet to make a move, her presence alone was a threat.

“A sword? Weren’t you just using a brush? Why switch to a sword now?” the elder asked, his confusion evident. Just moments before, Liu Jianchen had wielded a brush—why the sudden change?

With a chilling retort, Liu Jianchen replied, “A sword is a sword. Be it a brush or a wooden stick, there is no difference! Old man, you must be the founding patriarch of Sacred Tianshan, aren’t you? It’s a mystery how you’ve survived this long, evading so many brushes with death. But none of that matters anymore. Today… you are fated to die by my sword. Prepare yourself—”

In a flash, Liu Jianchen unleashed a slash so powerful that it carved a rift across the sky, the terrifying sword energy cleaving forth.

“Arrogant child! Do you truly think I fear you?” the Elder of Divine Mechanisms sneered, activating his spinning compass. A massive vortex surged forth to meet the sword energy, swallowing it whole in an instant.

“What?” Shock rippled through the crowd. “The compass in his hand—is it truly such a rare immortal artifact that it can even devour sword energy?”

At that moment, below, Daoist Qianji shouted, “Harm not my patriarch!” With that, he launched a sneak attack from behind, attempting to entangle Liu Jianchen and buy the elder a chance.

Boom—

Suddenly, the sky exploded with a thunderous roar. Before Liu Jianchen could react, Yue Chan had already slain Daoist Qianji before the Abyss of Heaven.

“I have said it before: of all things, I despise those who attack from behind. Whoever tries it shall die by my hand. If any of you doubt me, try intervening again…” Yue Chan’s cold gaze swept the assembly, silencing all with her imperious presence.

With Yue Chan standing guard, none dared entertain thoughts of further ambush. For now, no one would interfere in the duel.

“Old man, come then. Today, I wish to see how many deadly tricks you still possess.”

With those words, the two combatants clashed once more, their battle so fierce and mesmerizing that the onlookers were utterly enthralled. This was a battle of the immortal realm, a true confrontation of invincible mortal force—rarely witnessed in a lifetime.

Down in the tavern, Ye Qiu remained unmoved, abstaining from involvement. Sensing something amiss, he left the establishment.

“Hm? The heavens… seem about to change…” he muttered.

“What do you mean, ‘the heavens are about to change,’ innkeeper?” someone asked.

Ignoring the battle above, Ye Qiu’s gaze turned icy as he looked toward the Abyss of Heaven, an ominous premonition stirring within him. “I hope it’s just my imagination. This crumbling void shows signs of imminent collapse; the chaos above is being torn apart by their duel…” he murmured.

Hearing this, the Devouring Sparrow was startled, mouth agape in disbelief. “Impossible! The realm of chaos is the only boundary between the heavens and the mortal world. If the barrier breaks, wouldn’t that mean immortals from the heavens could descend?”

The consequences were unthinkable. Should such a calamity occur, it would spell unprecedented disaster for the Wildlands.

Everything seemed to be unfolding just as Ye Qiu had once predicted—an apocalyptic cleansing.

“Not necessarily,” Ye Qiu whispered.

“What do you mean?” the Devouring Sparrow pressed.

Ye Qiu spoke softly, “Above the realm of chaos, it may not be the heavens at all. In countless millennia, has anyone ever shattered the barrier and entered the heavens?”

“It seems… no one has,” the Devouring Sparrow replied, as if suddenly sensing an earth-shattering secret.

Ye Qiu continued, “Perhaps this so-called ‘heaven’ doesn’t exist at all. Breaking through the barrier might not be a bad thing. Blessings and calamities are intertwined; misfortune may give rise to fortune, and fortune may harbor disaster. The world we inhabit is more like a minor realm—this barrier impedes our exploration of the void, but also shields us from the incursion of outside threats. Thus, we have no knowledge of the world beyond—it could be hope, or it could be darkness. The present situation is hopelessly muddled; no one can see through its mysteries or foresee all its dangers. Only by destruction can there be rebirth. Only then can the Wildlands truly break free from its curse, from catastrophe. In the unseen workings of fate, everything has its destined course.”

Ye Qiu’s words were cryptic, even to himself. He was unsure what compelled him to speak, only that some inner voice urged him so.

Destruction before rebirth? It sounded more like a scene of nirvanic transformation. One could only hope the ending would not be too disappointing.

For this reason, Ye Qiu refrained from interfering, choosing instead to stand aside.

As the duel raged on, the world began to tremble—seas surged backward, volcanoes erupted, and other natural disasters erupted in quick succession. Only now did the onlookers sense the gravity of the situation.

“This is bad! Those two are about to shatter the realm of chaos! Damn it, we must stop them—”

The old monsters hidden among the crowd could no longer remain still, intending to forcibly intervene.

“Damn it! If the realm of chaos is pierced and the void barrier opened, the Wildlands will face an unprecedented calamity. Everyone, listen up—stop them at once!”

“Go!”

In a single moment, the masses surged forth, panic overriding all other concerns.

“I’d like to see who dares!” Yue Chan stood alone at the Abyss of Heaven, barring the way and staring down the crowd, blocking all passage.

Meanwhile, Liu Jianchen and the Elder of Divine Mechanisms had already fought their way to the heights of Boundless Heaven, drawing ever closer to the realm of chaos.

“Fairy Yue Chan, if the realm of chaos is broken, the Wildlands will be doomed! We must stop them before it’s too late…”

Intimidated by Yue Chan’s might, the crowd dared not advance.

Hearing this, Yue Chan frowned. Though she usually acted on impulse, heedless of consequences, she was never careless in matters of great importance.

As Yue Chan hesitated, the old monsters made their move. “Out of the way, girl!”

In an instant, dozens of figures surged forth toward the realm of chaos. Yue Chan could not stop so many at once and could only watch them go.

Then—a thunderous explosion tore through the sky. The heavens… collapsed.

“Not good! Everyone, run!”

A fissure ripped open above, and a blinding light poured in. Those caught in its path were reduced to ash in a heartbeat, unable to react.

“It is the Light of Heaven…”