Chapter 128: The Edge of Heaven

Duan Tianya was struck with boundless horror at the sight!

How could the Cold Heaven Academy, no matter how powerful, possibly harbor such a formidable figure? Could these people be from the Northern Border?

The thought made the terror in Duan Tianya’s eyes deepen, bordering on palpable dread. If he had offended this person so gravely, and the stranger were to take offense and strike him down, the Xianlin Sect would surely crumble to its foundations and face catastrophe. In the chaotic lands of the Eastern Domain, the Xianlin Sect would have no path to survival.

"What do I do? What do I do?"

Duan Tianya was burning with anxiety, his brows knitted tightly together, sweat rolling down his forehead. Was there truly no other choice but to submit? Even if the Xianlin Sect was small, such figures must have come here for the sake of medicinal pills. If he could only feign compliance for now, there might yet be a glimmer of hope.

With this realization, a flash of resolve crossed his eyes. He bowed deeply and spoke to Li Changsheng with utmost respect: "I did not know of your sudden arrival, Excellency. I beg for your forgiveness. My sect is willing to submit to you; I only hope you will overlook our past offenses..."

Duan Tianya’s demeanor was fawning, his words almost groveling. The four elders behind him, seeing this, were equally terrified and hurriedly bowed low.

"Kill him."

Li Changsheng looked at Duan Tianya, his expression indifferent, though he sneered inwardly. When Duan Tianya first appeared, he had clearly perceived the fluctuations in his soul. Did he really think he had an interest in a mere Xianlin Sect?

*Hum!*

At these words, a cold light flashed in Zhao Wan’er’s eyes, and a purple-black slender blade manifested in her hand! A fierce, malevolent aura instantly permeated the area, accompanied by a shrill, piercing hum!

With a turn of her delicate hand, black light erupted. Under Zhao Wan’er’s strike, the Sect Master Duan Tianya was reduced to a mist of blood!

"This..."

The four elders were struck with fresh terror! They hadn't even perceived her movement before their Sect Master was slain. The gap between this woman and themselves was not merely a chasm—it was an abyss! Could it be that the centuries-old foundation of the Xianlin Sect was to be destroyed this very day? The Sect Master was a fool! If only they had known of this person's terrifying identity, why test him? Now that he was dead, what were they, the remaining four, to do?

"Open the attribute panel and check the Destiny Points."

Sensing the soul fluctuations of the four, Li Changsheng remained impassive, his thoughts silent.

...

1,000 Destiny Points; not bad at all.

"From today on, you are the Sect Master of the Xianlin Sect."

Li Changsheng scanned the group, his expression indifferent, his voice devoid of emotion. He waved his hand, drawing forth a drop of Underworld River water, and pointed it toward the Third Elder, Liu Ruyan!

"This..."

Sensing Li Changsheng’s action, Liu Ruyan’s eyes widened in shock! She tried to dodge, but the drop of Underworld water had already reached her, merging into her brow in an instant! In the blink of an eye, it had fused completely with her soul and life force.

"Master of the... Underworld River?"

"The only god walking upon the earth..."

"A servant of the Underworld, protecting the master..."

As a flood of information poured into her mind, the shock in Liu Ruyan’s eyes became absolute. As she trembled and muttered, looking up at Li Changsheng, a tidal wave of awe surged in her heart. This identity—how could it be merely noble?

"I... pay respects to my master..."

Liu Ruyan’s body trembled, and she bowed respectfully to Li Changsheng, her voice stuttering as profound reverence took root in her heart.

*Ding! Host has subdued a person of high fortune. Destiny Points awarded, with bonus points granted.*

"I grant you the cultivation of the Void God realm."

Li Changsheng spoke calmly, his eyes sweeping over the quivering Liu Ruyan. First Qingli, then Zhao Ming, and now Liu Ruyan. Even after bestowing cultivation upon all three, the pure spiritual energy remaining after Bu Yuzi’s death had not been exhausted by even one-hundredth. Li Changsheng was not stingy. Furthermore, the power to control the Underworld River was unique in this world, which was why he felt no concern.

However, as they felt the aura around Liu Ruyan surging, the three elders watching from the sidelines grew sluggish and dull-witted... Such a feat would require immense energy even for a cultivator of the Ancient Mirror realm! Yet, this person acted as if it were entirely effortless, like a god controlling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth! With just a thought, he had forcibly raised Liu Ruyan from the early stage of Spirit Refining to the Void God realm!

Based on Liu Ruyan’s original aptitude, it would have taken her at least several hundred years to reach the Void God realm! Yet, those long centuries had been bypassed in the blink of an eye by a single word from this man! Thinking of this, the three elders looked at the delicate youth, their eyes no longer filled with mere fear, but a trace of irrepressible longing!

"Once you have finished handling the trivial matters of the Xianlin Sect, come find me in the main peak’s hall."

Li Changsheng sensed their expressions, a faint smile hidden in his heart as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. His divine sense spread, sweeping across the entire Xianlin mountain range. After locking onto the most magnificent hall, he gave a light command. With a single step, he vanished alongside Zhao Wan’er and Elder Jian!

"Yes."

Liu Ruyan dared not delay, kneeling on one knee and speaking respectfully. Only after Li Changsheng had been gone for a long while did she slowly rise, pondering for a moment before looking at the three behind her.

"Everyone, a god has descended upon our sect. We must assist with all our might; there can be no slackness."

Liu Ruyan’s lips parted slightly, her voice calm yet her eyes flashing with depth. A subtle divine sense emanated from her, and within a radius of ten thousand miles—from the sky high above to the depths of the earth where the Xianlin Sect sat, and even every blade of grass—a strange Dao rhythm flickered! This was the unique hallmark of the Void God realm: one’s thoughts connect with heaven and earth, and with a single command, one can borrow the power of nature!

The matter of the god was too significant; if any of these three harbored ulterior motives, Liu Ruyan would never leave such a risk behind!

"Liu Ruyan, how can you face the late Sect Master after this!"

A glint of sharpness appeared in the eyes of the withered old man, his voice raspy. The Second Elder also wore a frosty expression, his gaze gloomy. Only the Great Elder appeared relatively calm, though his demeanor was less gentle than before, as if he were indifferent to the turn of events.

"Idle talk is useless."

"How could a mere Sect Master contradict a god?"

Liu Ruyan’s expression remained calm, though a cold light flickered in the depths of her eyes. She was just about to strike the withered old man down with her palm!

*Sever!*

Just then, a man’s soft whisper echoed. As countless illusory threads appeared above the heads of everyone present, an extremely profound aura emanated! At that very moment, the many threads of causality above the withered old man’s head shattered instantly! Before he could even show a hint of shock, the withered old man was annihilated, body and soul!

Simultaneously, a momentary blankness flashed in the eyes of everyone in the Xianlin Sect, and everyone who had a karmic connection with the old man forgot him entirely! They forgot even the trace of his existence... Only Liu Ruyan, the two elders before her, and the Child of Fortune, Chu Tian, retained that near-transparent thread of causality...

"This..."

The Dao-robed woman, Bing Yun, had horror in her eyes; the shock in her heart was beyond measure! Even the Great Elder, Jian Lin, underwent a drastic change in expression! As their divine senses swept the Xianlin Sect, they both noticed the blankness in the eyes of the many disciples! Such a method was not something an Ancient Mirror cultivator could ever perform! The withered old man might have been ignorant, but they had seen Ancient Mirror cultivators strike before! Compared to this, those scenes were nothing but filth!

"To... simply erase a person from existence..."

Jian Lin’s shock was long and difficult to quell, his voice trembling slightly. This was truly impossible to accept.

"The power of a god—how can the sun and moon compete for brilliance..."

"From this day forward, the Xianlin Sect... shall prioritize the Lord’s every word above all else..."

Liu Ruyan looked at the two before her, her eyes deep and inscrutable. Her voice was slow, yet it carried an immense weight. This scene was truly too terrifying.

Meanwhile, inside a pill pavilion in the Xianlin Sect, Chu Tian was discussing pill alchemy with several disciples when he felt a strong sense of palpitations! The people before him suddenly looked dazed, and numerous karmic threads appeared above their heads!

"Who is it!!!"

Horror filled his eyes as a tidal wave of panic rose in Chu Tian’s heart! He watched helplessly as the karmic thread radiating the aura of the withered old man snapped above the heads of those before him. Chu Tian’s scalp went numb, and a chill rose up his spine!

As the ancient Pill Demon, he was naturally well-informed! He had once explored such methods of severing causality. But even with all his efforts, he had never succeeded! Forget severing causality—even catching a glimpse of it was as difficult as ascending to heaven!

In truth, the one most shocked in the entire Xianlin Sect was Chu Tian! Even if Liu Ruyan and the others were horrified, they could not fully grasp the difficulty of severing causality. Chu Tian had once been a legendary Dao-realm cultivator! Only a Dao-realm cultivator could use secret arts to reincarnate and start over. But even for such a powerful cultivator, the shock of seeing this art was beyond words! This was not something a standard Dao-realm expert could do! In fact, ninety-nine percent of Dao-realm cultivators could not even comprehend causality, let alone manipulate it to erase a person’s existence!

"Who... exactly is he..."

As his trembling voice echoed, the palpitations in Chu Tian’s heart reached an extreme. Even his body trembled slightly!

"Could it be... him..."

Suddenly, the image of the indifferent black-clad youth he had encountered at Chuling a few days ago surfaced in Chu Tian’s mind! Li Changsheng!!

"No... impossible..."

"His cultivation is at most in the Immortal realm... how could he understand such methods..."

The moment the thought arose, Chu Tian suppressed it. The art of causality was difficult to fathom even for Dao-realm experts; how could a mere Immortal-realm cultivator master it?

"The entire sect’s causality has been severed..."

"Yet I... have been left behind..."

"Is the source of that palpitation... finally coming for me?"

After a long silence, bloodshot eyes filled Chu Tian’s vision. As a violent, tyrannical aura surged around him, a hint of scarlet could be seen deep within his eyes! This matter was too strange! If he wasn’t being targeted, he had been ignored by that great being who severed causality. Chu Tian was not stupid; after a moment of reflection, he understood the crux of the matter. Someone who could control causality would not be a simple person! He feared he had truly been targeted.

"If it comes to it..."

"Then I shall use the item from the Demon-Cultivating Sea..."

He stopped mid-sentence and fell silent. As the bloodshot intensity in his eyes faded, the violent aura around him gradually receded. It was still not time to reveal his trump card. Although he did not know who was against him, everything required long-term planning.

Meanwhile, in the grandest hall of the Xianlin Sect, a youth in simple green robes with a detached and indifferent expression sat on the main seat. It was Li Changsheng, having changed his appearance. Beside the youth, a figure with eyes like a sea of stars, brows like distant mountains, a graceful stature, and a gentle expression was respectfully pouring tea. This was Zhao Wan’er, also transformed. Beside them stood a middle-aged man in a respectful posture—Elder Jian.

*Ding! Host has shocked everyone, rewarding 1,000 Destiny Points.*

*Ding! Host has frightened the Child of Fortune, causing his state of mind to become chaotic, rewarding 2,000 Destiny Points.*

Better than nothing.

As the system’s voice sounded, Li Changsheng gave a soft hum in his heart. A few thousand Destiny Points were too sparse; they could hardly pique his interest.

"Open the attribute panel and check the Destiny Points."

Li Changsheng pondered, his thoughts silent.

Seventeen thousand?

Seeing the total on the system panel, Li Changsheng was slightly surprised. After a brief pause, he shook his head with a faint smile. These Destiny Points weren't that hard to earn after all... Soon, he would be able to exchange for a magic treasure to play with.

"Open the system mall, magic treasures."

Li Changsheng pondered, his mind moving. The attribute panel in his mind flashed, and hundreds of magic treasure projections neatly arranged themselves on a new screen. The Destiny Point price was displayed beneath each item. Even the cheapest one required twenty thousand Destiny Points.

"This sword is not bad."

Li Changsheng looked at a long sword on the template, his lips curling upward as he muttered to himself. Looking closely, the sword appeared to be made of ice crystals! One side was carved with an immortal palace, a holy temple, and a frost altar frozen for ten thousand miles. The other side showed the shadow of an incredibly blurred world of frost! It was as if the wind, rain, grass, trees, mountains, earth, and even the sky within that world were all made of cold energy! The carvings on both sides of the sword were nearly hollow, yet they did not interfere with one another, appearing extremely wondrous! Although the sword looked quite ethereal, the chill radiating from within seemed capable of sealing everything in the world, even heaven and earth itself!

"Seal..." Li Changsheng murmured, looking at the ancient characters carved into the hilt, and a sense of understanding dawned upon him. That must be the sword's name.

Thirty-three thousand?

When he saw the price, Li Changsheng was taken aback. After a brief pause, he sank into deep thought. He was still sixteen thousand Destiny Points short of exchanging for this sword. It seemed he wouldn't be able to get it in the short term...

With that thought, Li Changsheng suddenly froze, a strange glint flashing deep in his eyes.