Chapter 360 The Tribulation of Immortal Annihilation

Brawny and the others stood frozen, stunned by the sight of Chen Fei decapitating the Grand Patriarch of the Matriarch Cult with a single slash.

A Dao Realm powerhouse… killed just like that?

The shock was palpable. Even for seasoned cultivators, this felt surreal.

Chen Fei calmly retracted his Wufeng Greatsword and descended from midair. As he landed, flames surged, consuming the patriarch’s body in an orderly blaze.

“He was just… beheaded like that?”

“Is he really dead?”

All eyes turned to Chen Fei.

He shook his head.

“Let Elder Wang explain.”

Elder Wang Situ stepped forward, his face brimming with a satisfied smile as he looked over Chen Fei.

“Didn’t expect you to perform so well on your first real mission. Color me impressed!”

Chen Fei raised his head.

“I want to meet the Sect Master.”

Wang Situ wasn’t surprised. With a wave of his hand, a layer of light enveloped Chen Fei, and in a blink, he vanished.

Appearing atop a mountain, Chen Fei found Mu Yunshu standing quietly, gazing out over the craggy, highland terrain.

“I know what you want to ask,”

Mu Yunshu said without turning.

Chen Fei looked at her, expression unreadable.

“You’re wondering why we’re so cold? Why we stood by and watched all of this happen?”

She turned the question back at him.

Chen Fei nodded silently.

Mu Yunshu glanced at him deeply, then spoke with a trace of wistfulness.

“You still have a pure, fiery heart — that’s a good thing.”

“But endless years wear down even the brightest flames. Your doubts are natural. Once you resolve them, you’ll be ready to step into the Human Dao Realm.”

She turned her gaze to the horizon.

“Our coldness isn’t apathy… it’s the despair of powerlessness.”

“After this tribulation, even the Heaven Dao Realm may become nothing more than history.”

“What?”

Chen Fei’s brow twitched. His eyes locked on Mu Yunshu.

“You probably know that in ancient times, cultivators on the Xuanhuang Continent could ascend to higher worlds. But to do so, Heaven Dao alone wasn’t enough.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“In fact, in the distant past, there were many who reached a realm beyond Heaven Dao — the Ascension Realm. Back then, such cultivators were as common as river fish.”

Chen Fei’s heart thundered at her words.

Ascension Realm — the literal realm of those who could leave the continent, chasing a higher path of cultivation.

And yet… according to her, those “immortals” could still remain on Xuanhuang?

“Back then, those in the Ascension Realm were also called ‘Immortals,'”

Mu Yunshu said with a wry smile.

“But one night… all immortals vanished without a trace. We don’t know what happened — only that it’s now known as the Tribulation of Immortal Annihilation.”

“That’s when the current three-tier system — Heaven, Earth, and Human Dao Realms — came into existence.”

“And between Heaven Dao and Ascension, there’s another layer: the Void Realm.”

She looked at Chen Fei.

Seeing the tension on his face, she added:

“I don’t know the specifics of the Void Realm. But the Old Ancestor can be considered half a step into it. If he succeeds in breaking through, maybe we’ll learn the truth.”

But Chen Fei caught a contradiction.

“Didn’t you say the Ascension Realm disappeared during the first tribulation? Then how can the Void Realm still exist?”

“Because during the second great tribulation, the Void Realm was wiped out,”

Mu Yunshu answered solemnly.

“And now… this is the beginning of the third.”

A chill ran down Chen Fei’s spine.

The world looked the same — and yet it felt as though a supreme gaze loomed above, watching them from the sky.

First Tribulation: Ascension Realm destroyed. Immortals extinguished.
Second Tribulation: Void Realm vanished from history.
Third Tribulation: And now… Heaven Dao and possibly Human Dao were the targets.

Was there really an invisible hand orchestrating everything on the continent?

“Is there… still hope?”

Chen Fei asked bitterly.

Mu Yunshu gave him a small, knowing smile.

“You chose the path of cultivation — then you must understand that Dao is boundless. Even if the heavens are broken, there will always be those who defy fate.”

“After the second tribulation, someone still managed to reach the Ascension Realm and leave the Xuanhuang Continent.”

Chen Fei’s eyes lit up.

“Who?”

“That’s taboo. I can’t say,”

Mu Yunshu replied.

“But there’s someone you know well — Su Ran.”

Chen Fei’s pupils constricted.

He had long suspected that Su Ran wasn’t ordinary. Why else would the Old Ancestor break his own rules to take in a disciple?

Now, Mu Yunshu had confirmed it.

“You seem unsurprised,”

she observed.

“Good. It means you were mentally prepared.”

She turned serious.

“As for why Heaven Dao cultivators can’t act recklessly — now I can tell you: it’s karma.”

Mu Yunshu stood up.

“The situation is chaotic. The evil sects rise. The demon race watches from the shadows. For Xuanhuang, this disaster is inevitable.”

“You feel injustice. You’re angry. That’s understandable.”

“But if you want to walk your own path… then be prepared.”

She gave him a final warning.

“The Ghost King Hall will open soon. Take care of your Ghost King Token.”

Chen Fei wasn’t surprised that she knew. He simply nodded with a faint smile.

Mu Yunshu added softly:

“The hall draws attention not just because of its legacies, but because it holds secrets of the Void Realm. You may find your answers there.”

With that, she vanished in a flicker.

Chen Fei stood in silence, staring into the distance.

Heaven Dao cultivators are bound by karma, which is why they rarely act. The more karma they accumulate during a tribulation, the sooner they die.

But if they feared karma and sat idle… was that acceptable?

Chen Fei found himself lost.

This internal turmoil was the sign of nearing the peak of the Miao Realm — the moment where one must define their path.

Suddenly, the Void Heaven Cauldron trembled. Dao marks etched upon it pulsed, pulling him out of his daze.

A smile appeared on Chen Fei’s face.

“The cauldron is my foundation. Maybe… I can carve a unique path.”

No.

“I must carve a path unlike any other.”