Chapter 89: Dangerous Move
The clearing held its breath, still as a painting. No insect chirped, no leaf rustled—a moment of perfect silence before chaos erupted.
In the next heartbeat, the world transformed into an inferno. A massive explosion tore through the clearing, unleashing devastation comparable to a collapsed nuclear reactor. The shockwave ripped trees from their roots, hurling them through the air like matchsticks. Flames devoured everything, leaving nothing untouched as they climbed skyward in a terrible pillar of destruction.
When the firestorm finally subsided, what remained was unrecognizable—a vast, smoldering crater carved deep into the earth where the clearing had once been. At its center lay the Core Formation expert, his body unrecognizable. Half his face had been burned beyond recognition, his left limbs entirely missing, and he was barely conscious.
"What happened? Where am I?" the man’s thoughts swam sluggishly through his pain-clouded mind.
A silhouette appeared above him, blurred by his failing vision. He strained to focus, raising his remaining hand in a feeble gesture.
"Save—" The word died on his lips as a sharp, piercing pain bloomed in his chest. His vision cleared just enough to recognize his executioner—Xiang Yu, driving a sword directly through his heart.
Memory finally flooded back. Before he could escape, the hidden talismans had somehow detonated simultaneously, catching him in their combined fury. "So this is death, huh!" The thought drifted through his fading consciousness. His raised arm fell limply to his side as a strange, peaceful smile crossed what remained of his face. "It doesn’t feel all that bad..." And then darkness claimed him completely.
Xiang Yu collapsed beside the corpse, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He’d made an incredibly dangerous gamble, using his earth qi to trigger all the buried talismans simultaneously. The resulting explosion had been far more devastating than he’d anticipated. Though he’d managed to use the Abyssal Void Flame to absorb the fire itself, he’d forgotten a crucial detail—though the flame could absorb the fire, it didn’t absorb the force of the blast.
His internal organs felt like they’d been put through a meat grinder. Pain radiated through every fiber of his being, but survival instinct overrode his body’s desperate pleas for rest. His eyes snapped open with sudden urgency.
No, he couldn’t afford to rest yet. An explosion of this magnitude would draw attention from miles around. He needed to disappear before investigators arrived at the scene.
"But first..." A pained smile crossed his face despite his agony. "I have to get my money’s worth."
With trembling fingers, Xiang Yu removed the spatial ring from the dead cultivator’s remaining hand. At least the ring had survived the blast intact—unlike when he’d eliminated the Foundation Establishment subordinates earlier, who’d been reduced to less than ash. What a waste that had been.
A Core Formation expert’s spatial ring would undoubtedly contain valuable treasures, but exploration would have to wait. Pushing through his pain, Xiang Yu sluggishly dragged himself toward the spirit spring.
Upon reaching the small cave entrance, he carefully arranged the bushes to conceal the opening before slipping inside. Once through, he methodically replaced the foliage, erasing all traces of his passage. Only after repositioning the massive rock that sealed the inner chamber did he finally allow himself to relax marginally.
The Transcendent Dao Physique truly lived up to its status. Already, he could feel his grievous internal injuries healing—not completely, but enough that his life was no longer in immediate danger. The remaining damage would heal naturally over time, but Xiang Yu couldn’t afford to wait. Investigators would surely arrive soon to examine the site of the explosion.
He approached the spirit spring, noting with satisfaction that it had partially replenished itself. Not fully restored to its previous glory, but sufficient for his needs. Without hesitation, he removed his tattered clothing and immersed himself in the spirit spring.
As he began circulating his energy to accelerate the healing process, Xiang Yu realized that dawn had not yet broken. According to his established routine, this was still the time for mind cultivation. With that thought, he closed his eyes and plunged into the vast expanse of his spiritual sea.
...
Li Yao’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, her grip on her sword unwavering. "Then why are you stopping me from leaving when the sect is under attack?"
"Will you listen to my story first?" the voice replied.
Li Yao remained motionless, her defensive stance unchanged, muscles tensed and ready to react to any threat.
"Don’t worry, your senior brother is still safe," the voice continued.
The mention of Xiang Yu sent a visible jolt through Li Yao’s body. Her expression hardened further, jaw clenching as she demanded, "How do you know about that?"
"It’s just some divination, nothing much," the voice answered dismissively.
Li Yao’s eyes flicked to the side momentarily, "Is what he’s saying true?"
[It is indeed divination, though I wouldn’t trust it much,] the Empress responded within her mind.
"What do you mean by that?" Li Yao pressed, concern creeping into her voice.
[Your senior brother’s destiny is quite complicated,] the Empress replied with an audible sigh.
"What do you mean by that?" Li Yao’s anxiety was evident now, her previous composure cracking slightly.
[Don’t ask. Heavenly secrets shouldn’t be pried upon. Anyway, you’ll figure it out eventually,] the Empress answered cryptically. After a moment’s pause, she added, [Why don’t you hear him out first? I can tell that he indeed doesn’t have any bad will toward you.]
Upon hearing this assessment from the Empress, Li Yao allowed her shoulders to relax slightly. The grip on her sword loosened, though she remained vigilant.
"Come closer," the voice beckoned.
In the next heartbeat, the sealed entrance to the hundredth floor began to open. A wave of demonic aura immediately flooded the chamber, so intense and oppressive that Li Yao nearly buckled under its weight. Only through sheer force of will did she remain standing, her knees trembling with the effort.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as a terrible realization dawned on her—this aura transcended any power she had ever encountered. Whatever entity resided beyond that door existed in a realm of cultivation so far beyond her own that she couldn’t even comprehend the gap between them.
Was this a trap after all? The thought flashed through her mind as she struggled against the crushing pressure.
Just as suddenly as it had appeared, a single sword flew out from the darkened entrance. The massive doors immediately began to close, sealing away the terrifying aura once more. As the last sliver of the opening disappeared, the oppressive force vanished completely.
Li Yao collapsed to one knee, drawing in deep, desperate breaths as though she’d been underwater for too long. Her wide eyes fixed on the sword that now hovered in the air before her.
...
Inside Li Yao’s spiritual sea, a magnificent golden castle stood proudly, its towers reaching toward an endless sky. Within the central chamber, upon an ornate throne crafted from what appeared to be solidified light, sat the Empress. Her form shimmered slightly as she tapped a delicate finger against her chin, contemplation evident in her eyes.
"To think that I’d meet someone good at divination in this small mortal world," she mused, a smile playing across her lips. "The heavenly dao sure is full of mysteries."
She stretched languidly, feeling the subtle increase in her power. Though still a mere fraction of her former glory, it was progress nonetheless.
"Now that I’ve recovered a little strength, should I also give it a shot?" she wondered aloud, her voice echoing through the empty halls of her spiritual domain. "Hmm, who should I try it on?"
Her thoughts drifted to the persistent enigma that had been nagging at her curiosity. "I’ve always been curious about this so-called senior brother," she admitted with a mischievous smile forming on her face. "Let’s see what you’re hiding, senior brother," she spoke cheekily, almost as though he could hear her teasing.
The Empress closed her eyes, her consciousness expanding outward as she initiated the divination technique. Reality shifted around her, the golden castle dissolving into mist.
In the next second, she found herself standing before an impossible staircase that spiraled upward without end, each step seemingly crafted from pure starlight. The Empress stared in bewilderment, trying to comprehend what this vision represented.
Her gaze traveled upward along the infinite path, finally settling on a figure seated at the highest visible point. There, in a perfect meditative posture, sat Xiang Yu—though he appeared somewhat older, his features more defined, his presence somehow more substantial.
Before she could process this unusual sight, Xiang Yu’s eyes snapped open. The Empress felt an overwhelming force wash over her, an incomprehensible power that transcended anything she had encountered in her long existence.
Instantly, she found herself violently thrust back into Li Yao’s spiritual sea, the golden castle materializing around her once more. She slumped against her throne, all color drained from her face, her expression frozen in absolute shock.
"How is that possible?" she whispered, her voice trembling in a way it hadn’t for countless millennia. "That’s..."
...
Author’s Corner:
The last scene happened before she spoke to Li Yao about his destiny, anyway, nothing much will come of this until later on so forget about it.
I’m still feeling a little under the weather so I’ll rest for a while before posting the third Chapter. Though it will already be considered tomorrow in WN time.