Ch. 83 - Born of Oblivion

Chu Yang was silent for a moment, then slowly took the ring and said with firm resolve, “Master, the day I achieve anything in life, I swear I’ll make the name of the Heavenly Sword echo across the entire Western Region.”

Yue Buli burst out laughing, glanced at Ren Pingsheng looming menacingly in the sky, and patted Chu Yang on the shoulder with satisfaction. “Go now, before it’s too late.”

“You’re not leaving, Master?” Chu Yang asked.

“I’ll live and die with the sect,” Yue Buli shook his head. “This is a mess I caused, and it must end with my sacrifice. But the cost... it’s far too great.”

He sighed as he looked at the ruined sect around him. “Damn it all... this was built through generations of effort.”

…

Watching Chu Yang’s retreating figure, he cast one last, reluctant glance over the land, then shot into the sky toward Ren Pingsheng.

With the power of the Grand Emperor Rune and the aura of Heaven’s Will’s infused in him, Ren Pingsheng resembled a demonic god descending from the heavens, standing tall above the world, the Sun-Devouring Axe cloaked in black mist.

With one swing, mountains shattered, rivers dried up, space itself tore apart, and everything disintegrated into silence.

The sky split open violently, and the rupture lingered for minutes without healing.

Endless demonic energy stirred up chaotic space currents, wreaking havoc across heaven and earth.

The Heavenly Sword Ancestor’s longsword clashed with the Sun-Devouring Axe, sparks flew in all directions.

But in mere moments, the longsword shattered into fragments.

The White Cloud Sword Master’s once-ethereal aura was gone. He used his horsetail whisk to wrap around the axe, attempting to pull it away.

But the overwhelming demonic energy devoured the whisk instantly. The White Cloud Sword Master’s expression turned to shock, and he quickly retreated with the Heavenly Sword Ancestor.

Just one move, and both of their weapons were destroyed.

Ren Pingsheng raised the Sun-Devouring Axe high above his head. In a single breath, the axe grew several times larger.

The sky filled with churning black energy, all the dark mist gathering together, drawn as if guided by the massive axe swing.

It was like meteors falling from the heavens, all crashing down onto the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Explosions echoed across the land, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!, accompanied by waves of violent demonic energy.

Centuries of honor and glory… completely obliterated.

Dust and smoke blanketed everything. It was over. The Heavenly Sword Ancestor stared at the destroyed sect, blood leaking from the corners of his eyes, his pupils bloodshot with grief.

As he, the White Cloud Sword Master, and Yue Buli charged recklessly at Ren Pingsheng with nothing left to lose, Ren remained calm.

In the midst of the devastation, it was as if he saw flashes of his own clan's annihilation long ago, burning bright in his memory.

He gently swung the massive axe, and all returned to silence.

A soft breeze blew in from the distance. The black mist had dispersed, and a few white clouds hung in the azure sky, unusually vivid.

The world was quiet, so quiet that even a heartbeat could be heard. It was as if the apocalyptic battle just now had never happened.

If not for the smoldering ruins below, no one would ever believe what had transpired.

Ren Pingsheng stood on the edge of the sky, staring out at the slowly setting sun.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. “I’ve avenged them… So why do I feel no joy? Only this crushing emptiness…”

He descended, landing at the heart of the ruins, surveying the destruction he had caused.

His injuries were still severe. He swallowed several pills to stabilize his condition, then turned and left, searching for a place to heal.

…

After fleeing the Heavenly Sword Sect, Chu Yang ran westward. Behind him, the black mist crashed down like a meteor shower.

He ran desperately, but the mist was incredibly fast, and its explosion radius vast.

He dodged several clouds of black mist, but one still managed to hit him.

At the final moment before impact, Chu Yang activated his Azure Cloud Battle Physique.

A red-and-blue aura enveloped him, a swirling vortex symbol appeared on his forehead, and streams of life energy flowed between his hair strands.

His ears elongated and sharpened like an elf’s.

Then the black mist hit him, and everything went black.

…

Who knows how long passed before Chu Yang finally regained consciousness.

His whole body was sore and weak, but thankfully, he hadn’t been seriously injured.

He knew it was the Azure Cloud Battle Physique that saved him. Aside from enhancing his overall strength, it also granted him a special battle technique, Light of Life.

It rapidly healed his wounds.

Looking around, he realized he was at the bottom of a cliff.

He recalled that there was a cliff near the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Black water flowed beside him, and the surrounding trees were lush and green.

Suddenly, Chu Yang noticed the irony, fate had brought him once again to the Blackwater River.

The Blackwater River ran across the entire Western Region, and it was said to begin at the center of the Eastern Continent.

He had obtained the Azure Cloud Battle Physique atop Blackwater Mountain, and now, he had encountered the Blackwater again.

…

“Little Yang, are you alright?” Old Man Samsara in the ring asked with concern.

“I’m fine. It’s thanks to the Azure Cloud Battle Physique. But… the others in the sect...” Chu Yang went quiet, exhaling deeply.

“Don’t think too much. Just focus on getting out of here first,” the old man replied.

Chu Yang nodded and glanced at the Sect Master’s Ring on his right hand. He knew, this was a heavy responsibility.

He scanned his surroundings, about to follow the river downstream, but then noticed a hidden cave entrance on the cliffside ahead.

It was covered in vines, and since no creatures seemed to live in this area, weeds had grown wild around it.

If he hadn’t been lucky, he might never have seen it.

Chu Yang picked up a stone and tossed it inside, testing for danger.

After hearing nothing, he drew his Wandering Dragon Sword, spiritual energy pulsing through the blade, and sliced away the vines in a few quick strikes.

He stepped inside. The light was dim, the space small, it looked man-made.

Inside the cave was nothing… except a stone table in the center.

On the table sat an ancient book, covered in dust.

Chu Yang gently blew the dust off and picked up the book.

Its yellowed cover bore just a single word:

“Forget.”

“What is this? Doesn’t look like a cultivation manual or martial art,” Chu Yang murmured. Still, the character Forget seemed to carry a strange weight.

He slowly opened to the first page, read for a while, and then realized…

It was an autobiography.

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