Chapter 3658: Madness
Chapter 3658: Madness
“Ru Guo, why is the master of Heavenspire attacking the Ark Domain?” Su Shidao demanded.
Ru Guo stared at Su Shidao, his expression souring as the Seraph appeared. “This has nothing to do with you.”
Su Shidao shouted, “The Ark Domain is currently working on preparing battleships for the final attack on the Consciousness Megaverse! What are you doing, attacking this place? Could you intend to destroy this battleship, hindering my Spirit Nidus from reaching the Consciousness Megaverse?”
“He’s a traitor, helping the Consciousness Megaverse!” Astral Anura shouted. Having seen the miserable condition of Wilderness God and Sovereign Dou Sheng, the toad’s heart trembled. He felt lucky that he had not gotten involved, as he would have been doomed.
Ru Guo turned to look at Boundless. “I am taking Boundless away.”
“Nonsense! Boundless is the seventh battleship participating in the expedition to the Consciousness Megaverse! How can you take it away?” Su Shidao roared. He immediately threatened Ru Guo. “I have already reported this matter to the Ascendant Hall! How do you intend to explain such traitorous behavior to the High Seraph?”
A murderous light flashed across Ru Guo’s eyes as he looked back at Yong Heng, who was still standing outside the domain’s border. “Attack.”
“I can do nothing here,” Yong Heng replied.
Ru Guo stared at Yong Heng with growing intensity. “Do not forget what you promised!”
Yong Heng just shrugged. “Have you not noticed that you are being watched?”
Ru Guo grew puzzled. “By who?”
“The High Seraph.”
“The High Seraph? Is he here?” Ru Guo exclaimed in astonishment.
Yong Heng, his expression somber, said, “I cannot attack. As soon as I make a move, the High Seraph will take action, as he is always watching me.”
Ru Guo could not believe this excuse. “The High Seraph will do nothing about this matter.”
Yong Heng barked a laugh. “The High Seraph has been searching for me at all times, waiting to kill me. Did you not know?”
Naturally, Ru Guo was aware of this matter, but he was cooperating with Yong Heng because they were both acting as Lesser Sancte Yue Ya’s subordinates, and Yue Ya had given his assurances that the High Seraph would not intervene in this matter.
Ru Guo stared at Yong Heng, unable to determine if the man was being truthful or deceptive. While it was expected for the High Seraph to do nothing, if he decided to intervene, it would not be a surprise.
Regardless of how the High Seraph might treat Lu Yin, Yong Heng was undoubtedly the High Seraph’s main target. It only made sense that the High Seraph would be keeping a careful eye out for True God.
Ru Guo looked back at Boundless. With Yong Heng blatantly refusing to attack, it was impossible for Ru Guo to take the battleship away, given that the experts on the vessel were being supported by Seraph Su Shidao and any other Spirit Nidus experts who would soon arrive.
Helpless, Ru Guo could only retreat for the time being.
Boundless was prepared for an attack, and that was a problem for Yue Ya’s people, but that had nothing to do with Ru Guo.
Yong Heng watched as Ru Guo left, and then he turned to look at Boundless. His gaze met the Origin Progenitor’s, and with a smile, Yong Heng turned and left.
Standing beside the Origin Progenitor, Chu Yi lamented, “If only we could have dealt with Yong Heng here. Then, our enemies from the Tianyuan Megaverse would have been completely done with.”
The Origin Progenitor shook his head. “It is not yet time.”
After all, they could not prevent Yong Heng from escaping.
...
“They failed again. Boundless moved to the Ark Domain, Su Shidao rushed over, preventing Ru Guo from carrying out his task. Yong Heng claimed that he was being watched by the High Seraph and was thus unable to act,” Yue Ya stated.
Another voice replied, “Did the High Seraph really intervene?”
“That’s what Yong Heng said. From the moment he arrived in the Spirit Nidus, the High Seraph has been trying to find him, and he has moved against him multiple times. While the High Seraph’s actions against Yong Heng originally had nothing to do with me, the fact that he intervened at this precise moment is infuriating.”
“Two unsuccessful attempts, and Boundless is now in the Ark Domain. It seems that this Seraph Lu has sensed something. If you intend to have someone else attempt to lure him out, that will also most likely fail.”
"Not necessarily. Ru Guo’s attack can easily be interpreted as vengeance for Ru Mu—after all, she nearly lost her life aboard Boundless. As for Emperor Wu's intervention, Lu Yin likely has no idea what prompted it."
There was a pause before Yue Ya’s voice sounded again, colder than before, "The one I loathe most is still the High Seraph. I'd love nothing more than to carve up that worthless mutt favored by fate. Yu Shi’s defeat already stirred unrest within the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, and if not for that man hiding away in the Spirit Nidus all this time, we would’ve struck long ago. Now, he won’t even step foot in Heavenspire."
Another voice spoke up, “In comparison, that Old Man Under the Stars might have been a bit foolish, but at least he never caused us any trouble.”
“I’ll try again. If that attempt also fails, I’ll personally visit the Spirit Nidus and kill the High Seraph.”
“You plan to personally descend into the Spirit Nidus? Aren’t you afraid of being punished by the Greater Sancti?”
“I’ve already destroyed the Ru family.”
“True. The Ru family was under the protection of the Greater Sancti, and yet you still dealt with them. Entering the Spirit Nidus itself is no worse than that. Still, it’s not yet time. Have you considered getting the High Seraph to help you?”
“The High Seraph? Help me?”
“He won’t have a choice.”
“You?”
“The coincidence that affected the River Domain might only happen once... or it could happen multiple times.”
“Xing Fan, do you understand what you’re doing? The consequences of that are far more serious than eliminating the Ru family.”
“Heh, you were already bold enough to wipe out the Ru family and enter the Spirit Nidus, so what do I need to fear?”
“Of the two of us, only one can succeed.”
“And then we will protect the other.”
Yue Ya remained silent for a moment. “It’s too risky.”
“Yue Ya, do you know why I help you? You’re getting what you want, but it’s more important to me that I get what I want.”
“But you’re making too much noise! Don’t forget, the High Seraph is not the only one in the Spirit Nidus.”
Xing Fan fell silent.
A long while later, Yue Ya spoke again. “Let’s first destroy a few domains, testing the depths of the Spirit Nidus. There are only two possible outcomes for me: I either get what I want, or I don’t. On the other hand, you keep getting what you want. The results favor you much more than they do me. There’s no need to take such a risk.”
“Fine.”
...
The spirit character (灵) had two strokes at the bottom. One had once terminated with the River Domain and the other with the Glory Domain. One day, disaster struck the Glory Domain. One after another, cultivators dropped from the sky, crashing to the ground. It was impossible to tell if they were dead or alive.
Cultivators raced up from a city, only to fall as well.
Cultivators fought in the mountains and across vast tracts of land, only to all die simultaneously.
Some young people, who had only just bade their families farewell and started on a journey, plummeted to the ground head first.
In each of these instances, spirit seeds were ripped away from the cultivators in the Glory Domain. They flew up into the sky, eventually disappearing. It was like seeing dandelion seeds being carried upward by the wind.
The only ones to survive in the Glory Domain were the ordinary humans. They stared at the countless dead cultivators in a daze. Not a single cultivator had escaped death.
In the Ascendant Hall’s Apex Palace, the High Seraph’s expression changed drastically. He stepped out, traveling through space with a terrifyingly somber expression on his face.
When he arrived in the Glory Domain, he was met with a deathly silence. The only sounds to be heard were wails of despair, but there was no other life.
He looked upwards.“Yue Ya, Xing Fan, get out here!”
There was no reaction, but the High Seraph suddenly turned and looked in another direction. This was terrible.
Silence reigned in yet another domain. The High Seraph arrived just in time to see countless spirit seeds rising upwards and vanishing high in the endless sky. For a fleeting moment, the “灵” character flashed brightly. Clenching his fists, he shouted, “Xing Fan, you are courting death! Even if you are a Lesser Sancte, you cannot defy the Greater Sancti’s orders! The Spirit Nidus cannot be touched!”
There was no answer.
In yet a third domain, silence started to spread. The High Seraph pursued the phenomenon, and he cried out, “Are you really determined to fight to the very end? Do not forget about the invincible being!”
While many people claimed that a previous generation’s High Seraph had fabricated the invincible being in order to maintain control over the Spirit Nidus, the truth was that the invincible being was a threat to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse.
This was because the invincible being was an Immortal. By having an Immortal, the Spirit Nidus was qualified to negotiate certain terms with the Nine Odysseys Megaverse.
Even Yue Ya and Xing Fan were wary of the invincible being.
Still, no one answered the High Seraph’s cries.
Hatred blazed in his eyes as he demanded, “Exactly what is your goal?”
Yue Ya was trying to threaten the High Seraph into taking Lu Yin to the Morrow Behemoth’s hand, but he was unable to descend directly into the Spirit Nidus. It was necessary to rely on a representative to relay a message, and that messenger, who belonged to Xing Fan, had been delayed.
Xing Fan wanted to destroy the Spirit Nidus’s various domains in order to achieve their own goal, but three domains were not enough. In fact, three domains were not even close; more than half of the thirty-six domains needed to be devastated, at the very least.
However, before the fourth domain could be destroyed, a figure crashed into the ground.
The High Seraph looked over in surprise. It was Yue Ya’s representative, with whom the High Seraph had spoken after the destruction of the River Domain. The same man had once sought out Yong Heng, and yet he had suddenly fallen.
The man was already dead.
The High Seraph was astonished, and he questioned what was happening. He peered into the distance to see a figure slowly appear. The person did not move quickly, but the moment they appeared, the entire universe seemed to freeze.
Even the spirit seeds that were flying into the starry sky came to an abrupt halt.
A bamboo basket creaked softly. The newcomer had an aged face and murky eyes. His expression looked conflicted as he spoke. “It’s been so long since I last appeared. It seems that you have all forgotten about this old man.”
Above the sky, the “灵” character shone brightly. Xing Fan grew restless, seeing that Master Qing Cao had suddenly appeared.
The High Seraph watched as Master Qing Cao slowly moved closer. He took a deep breath and then bowed, not saying a word.
Master Qing Cao peered up at the sky. “Are you truly going to destroy my thirty-six domains?”
No one answered.
Master Qing Cao spoke to himself, his tone calm. “Go ahead, then. I won’t stop you. I may not be able to take down a Greater Sancte, but two Lesser Sancti who’ve overstepped? That won’t be a problem.
“Immortality... To live too long is its own kind of sin. Do you think I haven’t yearned for a clean ending of my own?
“People abandon love and loyalty in their pursuit of power, but when they reach the end of the path, they start missing the days when they were still just ordinary folk. I’ve waited far too long for that moment myself... So, how about it? Won’t you accompany this old man on one last journey?”
The brightness of the “灵” character faded, and everything disappeared like smoke. Still, the domain was beyond recovery.
Xing Fan had fled. It was unknown if Master Qing Cao was telling the truth or not, but not even the Lesser Sancte would dare take such a risk. A Lesser Sancte was no Immortal, and Xing Fan could not comprehend the thoughts of those who had entered that realm.
That was the same reason why that the thoughts of the Greater Sancti were inscrutable.
Three domains had been destroyed. It was an absolute catastrophe for the Spirit Nidus, but it was still within the High Seraph’s means of suppressing.
He bowed again to Master Qing Cao. “I never thought that they would act with such madness.”
Master Qing Cao let out a helpless sigh. “With that position empty, no one can resist the temptation. Their actions are perfectly normal.”
The High Seraph looked at Master Qing Cao. “Will they strike again?”
“Undoubtedly.” Master Qing Cao met the High Seraph’s gaze. “Immortality is the greatest obsession in all of cultivation. Ordinary people see themselves as human—but cultivators, no longer. And so they cultivate, searching for their true selves. They seek to part the mists and behold the truth.
“That truth may well disappoint... but until they see it for themselves, not one will turn back.
“Mo Shang, will you give up?”
The High Seraph answered without hesitation, “No.”
Master Qing Cao showed a hint of a smile. “Madness can make one forget fear. It won’t be long before this happens again. If it does, I won’t be able to stop it.”
The High Seraph’s expression turned somber. The Spirit Nidus possessed an Immortal, but compared to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s Greater Sancti, their numbers were far too few. This left the Spirit Nidus in a passive position.
From the very beginning, the upper limits of both the Nine Odysseys Megaverse and the Spirit Nidus had been fixed. The desire to break through to Immortality had always been there, but achieving it depended on the will of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse.
“The Spirit Nidus is getting lively—one after another, they’ve all shown up. Getting in is easy, but leaving... not so much. And as for the Tianyuan Megaverse’s situation right now? It’s looking pretty grim,” Master Qing Cao murmured, and then disappeared.
...