Chapter 144: To Struggle Against Heaven—All Remains Ambiguous

Yu Xian stood on the ruined ground, silently watching the group of six who had just passed him and were now rushing toward the royal palace.

Was there truly a legacy inside?

Perhaps.

But what did it matter to him?

With that thought, Yu Xian turned around.

It was time to leave.

He would find a place to cultivate or continue observing the illusionary battles to refine his martial path. He only needed to survive this month inside.

“Come… I shall grant you… two wishes…”

But before he could take even a single step, a voice once again echoed in his ears.

This time, it was clearer, tinged with temptation.

Yu Xian’s brow twitched slightly, and a cold smile curled at his lips.

If there had been any doubt before, now he was certain—

The existence inside held no good intentions.

Two wishes?

Even granting one would require an unimaginable level of power.

If it could fulfill any wish, it would be invincible, and hence would not need to lure people here.

Yu Xian promptly strode away, distancing himself quickly.

“Don’t go… Don’t you… want to know… your master’s… whereabouts…?”

The voice came again—much weaker, but in Yu Xian’s ears, it landed like a bolt of thunder.

His master’s whereabouts!?

How could this being know!?

And how did it know that his biggest concern right now was exactly that?

Yu Xian’s eye twitched violently.

He abruptly turned around and rushed toward the palace.

Even if it was a trap—even if it meant certain death—

He had to go.

He had to ask!

Where was his master!?

“Master…”

His gaze was firm, his pace unyielding. Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he arrived before the palace.

The other six had already entered.

Without hesitation, Yu Xian climbed the shattered steps and, within three breaths, charged inside.

Inside the grand hall, Wang Teng, Li Yuan, Jiang Shanyu, Zhou Zong, and the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators stood stiff as statues.

Yu Xian’s eyes widened as he looked forward—then froze in place.

The hall was in ruins: broken dragon pillars, shattered golden tiles, and the royal throne smashed into rubble.

But amidst the debris, a figure sat in mid-air.

He wore a black imperial robe and a crown of nine flowing beads.

Floating. Silent.

And precisely where the supreme throne had once stood.

No one dared speak.

“…Who are you?”

Wang Teng finally broke the silence. “Are you alive or dead? Why did you summon us?”

The figure made no move, but all seven felt a gaze fall on each of them.

“You… have come…”

The voice echoed again, and each of them felt it was spoken directly to them.

Yu Xian narrowed his eyes.

The figure seemed alive, yet gave off no aura of the living.

But if it wasn’t alive—how could it speak?

“Who exactly are you!?”

Wang Teng called again, gulping. “An ancient sage? Some unresolved regret? If there’s anything we can help with, just tell us!”

Still no movement.

Li Yuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

He dropped to his knees and shouted:

“Junior Li Yuan pays respects to the Sacred King! Long live the Sacred King! Long live His Majesty!”

“Rise…”

The voice came again, weak and disjointed.

Li Yuan’s face lit up with ecstatic joy. He kowtowed hard.

“Thank you, Sacred King!”

The others quickly followed, dropping to their knees.

“Long live the Sacred King! Long live the Sacred King!”

“All… subjects… rise…”

The voice again echoed in their ears. Though the figure had not moved, all eyes were on it.

“Your Majesty! Your subject begs a reward!”

Li Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he shouted loudly.

“You… have… fought… the enemy… you deserve… a reward… what… do you seek?”

The voice stuttered through the grand hall.

Li Yuan could barely contain himself. His mind raced.

Finally, he shouted:

“Your Majesty! I wish for a cultivation technique that leads to divine ascension!”

“Granted…”

No motion, yet a beam of light shot forth, landing in front of Li Yuan.

A manual.

Li Yuan trembled with excitement. He pounced like a wild dog, grabbing it and stashing it without even checking its contents.

Then he raised his head, eyes bloodshot, and shrieked:

“Thank you, Sacred King! Thank you! Your Majesty, I also wish for a pill that can help me reach the Golden Core Realm!”

“Greedy… ungrateful… slap the mouth…”

The figure’s tone was now cold.

Suddenly, a bolt of black lightning descended from the heavens!

BOOM—

It was like a firecracker erupting.

Li Yuan didn’t even get a chance to scream.

He was vaporized—reduced to a puff of white smoke.

Not even his storage pouch or artifacts remained.

Silence.

Dead silence.

The remaining five, including Yu Xian, were all frozen in place.

Yu Xian’s face turned grim.

His entire body tensed.

That one strike—though aimed at Li Yuan—had shaken everyone. The sheer killing intent made even Yu Xian’s scalp tingle.

The others began to tremble uncontrollably.

A slap?

That wasn’t a slap.

That erased his existence.

Wang Teng was soaked in cold sweat.

He had nearly made the same mistake, trying to snatch a reward before Li Yuan.

Now, no one dared speak.

“You all… what… reward… do you seek…”

The voice returned.

The five kneeling figures and Yu Xian, who was still standing, all hesitated, unsure what to say.

Yu Xian narrowed his eyes, then calmly said:

“Your Majesty, I want to know where my master is.”

All five turned to look at him.

Would the figure grant Yu Xian’s request—or slap him too?

But the figure remained silent.

Yu Xian waited patiently, staring steadily at the shadowy form.

As for the others, none dared to rise.

Having already knelt, they feared standing would invite death.

After what felt like an incense stick’s time, the figure finally spoke again:

“Your master… is in… the west…”

The west…

Yu Xian’s eyes flickered.

There was meaning in the answer—but also nothing at all.

It pointed him in a direction, yes.

But the west was vast beyond imagination.

Where in the west should he look?

He sighed quietly and didn’t ask for anything else.

“So, why did you summon us? Just to be worshipped?”

The five others were shocked again, fearing the figure would be enraged.

But the shadow didn’t grow angry.

“I… united the nine provinces… forged the nine cauldrons… raised Heaven’s Altar… sought to restore the Human King… but the heavens… defeated me… I perished… left behind only… a fragment of will… I cannot open the ruins forever… I summoned you… only to say… humans must not submit… to heaven! We must fight… fight against heaven!!”

All six, including Yu Xian, were confused.

Nine provinces?

As far as they knew, the world only had five—East, West, South, North, and Central.

What nine provinces?

Forging nine cauldrons? Heaven’s Altar? Reviving the Human King?

Who was the Human King?

Fight against heaven?

Who could fight the heavens?

One lightning tribulation was enough to obliterate most.

Only the mightiest, those beyond comprehension, survived such trials.

Yu Xian didn’t fully understand the message either.

But he memorized the fragmented words.

“Very well. I understand. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

He turned to go.

“You… have… one more wish… speak it… and I… shall grant it… but you… must… destroy heaven… one day…”

The voice called again.

The figure had remembered the promise of two wishes, even if Yu Xian hadn’t taken it seriously.

Yu Xian paused, then turned back.

“Fine. I want to know where the person who killed my mother Yushu is.”

Silence.

The kneeling five showed confused expressions.

Clearly, they had not heard that last sentence—it was a private transaction between the figure and Yu Xian.

As the figure remained silent, it also began to fade.

Its form dimmed, as if losing its final threads of power.

A long silence passed.

Nearly an hour later, the broken voice returned:

“Your… enemy… is in… the west…”

Yu Xian exhaled, disappointed but composed.

“Alright. Thank you.”

He turned and left without hesitation.

“Remember… you must… destroy… heaven… destroy… heaven…”

The voice echoed again, barely audible now.

Yu Xian nodded faintly.

“Sure. If I get the time.”

“Good… good… you will… have the time… for… they… will not… let you go…”

The voice disappeared entirely.

Yu Xian walked away in great strides.

He had given the figure an ambiguous answer.

And the figure had done the same to him.

Fair trade.

Yu Xian left.

The remaining five looked at one another—eyes shining.

So, they could still make a request!

As long as it wasn’t excessive…

Wang Teng kowtowed hard:

“Sacred King! I ask for a pill to help me reach Golden Core!”

The others followed, eagerly shouting their own wishes.

But this time—

There was no response.

Moments later, they cautiously lifted their heads.

The hall was empty.

Desolate.

Silent.

The shadow… had vanished.

Its obsession had ended.