Translator Note: For chapter 69 and 70, there are revised versions (aka updated versions) of the novel, which the author made after reading feedback from readers. Personally, I prefer the original version, but per request, I have translated both versions. The text for the revised portion has been changed to this color so you guys discern the difference easier o /
The Heavenly Principles did not reply.
Pei QianYue didn’t rush him either.
The Heavenly Principles wasn’t actually a living creature that existed in reality. He represented this world’s rules, knowledge, and order. He wasn’t human, much less an immortal or God.
As such, he lacked the emotions possessed by the creatures of this world. Any attempts to curry favor or beg for mercy was pointless.
However, this didn’t mean that it was impossible to negotiate with the Heavenly Principles.
The Heavenly Principles was like an instrument running on an extremely precise program; however, this program wasn’t set in stone. He can weigh the pros and cons, calculate, and hypothesize to select the plan that’s most beneficial to this world.
Pei QianYue was confident that he presented sufficient conditions.
The reason why the Heavenly Principles had interfered this time was because in his calculations, he reached the conclusion that the world was to face imminent destruction. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided on, what he thought to be, the most optimal resolution method.
Killing the cultivators of this world through random selection, and controlling the number of cultivators in the world, as well as returning their portion of spirit energy back to the Heaven and Earth.
Killing two birds with one stone.
The conditions that Pei QianYue presented to him, also, achieved this.
Perhaps the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance won’t be able to reduce the number of cultivators within this world immediately, however once the situation is controlled, it will be beneficial in the long run. As for the portion of people who should have died, as well as their spirit energy which should have been placed back into the Heaven and Earth, Pei QianYue will be making up for it himself.
A powerful demon who has cultivated for 3000 years— the spirit energy that he provided can only be stronger than those mortals, not less.
Regardless of how it’s calculated, this was an advantageous and harmless proposition.
Sure enough, a moment later, the Heavenly Principles said slowly: “What’s your condition?”
The corners of Pei QianYue’s lips curved upwards.
The wind gradually picked up. Above the distant horizons, the intense winds twisted into tiny vortexes within the clouds. Pei QianYue looked up towards the skies and said in a calm and clear tone: “Exempt Feng Ci from all punishments…… and give him back his freedom.”
Let him live freely, die freely, without restrictions henceforth.
The wild gusts of wind enveloped the Heaven and Earth; the clouds concealed the sun and skies.
High in the sky, a deep bottomless vortex formed slowly. The intense wind swept up the sand, stones, and fallen leaves in a spiral, which were then swallowed by that vortex.
In the depths of the vortex was a figure in black robes.
Very cold.
Pei QianYue has never felt such a terrifying coldness before in his life. The whistling wind around him sounded like a wailing kind of howl. Every time a breeze blew past his body, it took away a bit of warmth, and a part of his spirit energy.
The breath that he exhaled was already tainted with a faint white fog. His entire body was so frozen from the extreme cold that he had already lost all sensations except for the sharp pain that tugged inside his chest and heart as he breathed. With the rapid loss of spirit energy, Pei QianYue’s hair turned brittle white swiftly; his entire person even became emaciated.
How unsightly.
Good thing he’s not here.
At a time like this, Pei QianYue actually rejoiced slightly in his heart.
Feng Ci liked this appearance of his the most. He wasn’t here, so he’d never see his current appearance.
Pei QianYue lowered his head.
The rapid deterioration made his robes appear even wider and broader than before. The brittle white hair was lifted by the wild gusts of wind. His body seemed on the verge of being blown over by the gale anytime and this was indeed the current reality as well. Pei QianYue really couldn’t remain standing anymore. His breathing was so light, even it seemed like it could vanish anytime.
A demon(妖)’s spirit energy was their source of life. Vanishing along with his spirit energy was also his life force.
Approaching death, people usually acquire a moment of peace.
All the clamors suddenly felt very far. In a daze, Pei QianYue felt almost like he had returned to his childhood, the day when he first met Feng Ci. At that time, it was also the same feeling as right now. He was so cold that his entire body was stiff; he was on the verge of unconsciousness.
The little snake, that was just born not too long ago, curled up onto itself inside the snow— suffering, helpless, not knowing what he could do to continue surviving.
Then, he saw that person.
Dressed in full white, as if a god descending upon this world, he arrived next to him.
Boom—
A huge sound pulled Pei QianYue from the depths of his thoughts. However, his head, which had already become sluggish and muddled, was no longer capable of determining if this were reality or still merely part of his fantasies.
Boom!
Another huge sound.
This sound even shook the ground itself. Pei QianYue staggered as well and his thoughts finally cleared up.
He raised his head, focused the last bit of spirit energy remaining in his body, and ‘saw’ the sword-wielding figure standing in midair.
It was no longer the body of that thin, frail youth. The young man’s figure was tall and slender. His long loose hair flew wildly amidst the whirlwind, his handsome face serene as water.
Saint Sovereign QianQiu finally retrieved his original body.
Feng Ci stood amidst the whirlwind and looked at Pei QianYue, as if meeting his gaze from afar. Immediately afterwards, Feng Ci raised the QianQiu Sword he held high in the air and gave a forceful swing.
Boom—!
The transaction between Pei QianYue and the Heavenly Principles was completed. The whirlwind had created an impenetrable barrier around him. The sword energy slammed brutally onto that barrier, but it didn’t do the slightest damage.
Feng Ci didn’t give up. The glow of the QianQiu Sword grew brighter and brighter with each swing, the sword energy beating on the barrier more and more abundant each time.
Don’t do this.
Pei QianYue wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure if he made a sound or not.
He raised his hands towards that figure in the air.
Those hands were thin and pale white at this moment, as if even his life force had already been drained dry.
Pei QianYue remembered how he looked right now and withdrew his hands again, his lips twisting into a mocking smile.
There’s not enough time…… just give up……
It’s too late……
His spirit energy was no longer capable of supporting his vision. The sense of perception brought by that little bit of spirit energy faded little by little. Fading at the same time was that young man’s handsome and immaculate face, as well as that tall and slender figure.
In a flash, Feng Ci’s spiritual powers surged.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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The young man’s eyes were serene, without any ripples. Carrying the power of these 10 thousand bolts of lightning, he swung his sword heavily downwards—
The rumble shook the Heavens and Earth. That impenetrable barrier finally split open a crack.
The fissure expanded swiftly, from the bottom upwards, visibly collapsing bit by bit.
Feng Ci finally revealed a slight smile, but an unprecedented force suddenly exploded from the depths of the vortex. The powerful surge abruptly threw Feng Ci outwards.
Feng Ci was forced hundreds of meters away by the impact of that force.
He fell downwards into the forest below. Body skimming over the top of a tree, he finally smashed heavily into a thick tree trunk.
This fall made Feng Ci feel like even his organs were knocked out of place. Head buzzing loudly, it was quite a while before he finally coughed out a mouthful of blood and then slid down from the tree trunk.
With a boom, the tree trunk behind him snapped in half and fell to the ground with a rumble.
The QianQiu Sword rolled to the side as Feng Ci fell onto one knee, gasping for breath as the thick taste of blood filled his chest.
The scene just now, he had seen before.
At the start of everything, in the first dream that the Heavenly Principles bestowed upon him.
The him back then, originally thought that it was the scene of imminent catastrophe. Who would have imagined that it wasn’t a catastrophe after all, but rather, a punishment from the Heavens.
“……Are you kidding me?” Feng Ci wiped away the blood on his lips with his sleeve, picked up the QianQiu Sword, and forced himself to stand up with its support. He tilted his head and gazed towards the horizons. That strong whirlwind that was continuously absorbing Pei QianYue’s spirit energy had already stopped, but the vortex in the skies still remained.
“Pei QianYue……” Feng Ci’s voice was hoarse and raspy: “You lunatic.”
In the deepest parts of the forest, a white light suddenly appeared.
The white light instantly engulfed the entire forest, and also enveloped Feng Ci’s figure within it. The aches and pains of his body vanished subsequently. Feng Ci looked up and saw the figure that stood not far away.
The Heavenly Principles.
Feng Ci stood up straight and looked at that figure coldly: “I was the one who defied your orders. Why do you have to bring innocent people into this?”
“Innocent?” The Heavenly Principles’ voice spoke up between the Heavens and Earth: “He was the one who had plotted to remove the Heavenly Principles’ spell on the puppet. How is he innocent? He should have been the one to bear all of this from the start. Not to mention, this was his own request.”
“But he did it because of m—” Feng Ci’s voice stopped as abruptly as it began.
Pointless.
The Heavenly Principles has always only looked at the outcome. Tracing back to the source, Pei QianYue was actually the leading culprit of this incident. If he didn’t order WanFa Pavilion to create the All-Restoration Device, things would have been completely different today.
Regardless of Pei QianYue’s original intentions, it didn’t change this outcome.
Feng Ci closed his eyes.
Pei QianYue had already calculated everything clearly.
That’s why he chose a method where Feng Ci could only assist from the side, but never interfere. It was all for today, just to remove Feng Ci from this entire affair.
“The transaction is already completed.” The Heavenly Principles said slowly: “From today onwards, you’re no longer the Son of Heaven and have no need to fulfill your obligations and responsibilities as the Son of Heaven. Go, if you continue to pester, the Law of Heaven will not forgive you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Ci felt something loosen around him.
Inexplicably, there seemed to be an invisible shackle that quietly opened, releasing a soul that has been imprisoned for a very long time.
This originally should have been his long-cherished wish for thousands of years. But when he finally fulfilled this wish, Feng Ci didn’t actually feel any sense of delight or happiness.
How could he feel any sense of happiness?
Feng Ci exhaled softly and smiled: “If I insist on pestering, then what?”
The Heavenly Principles didn’t answer.
That huge figure lowered his head slightly and gazed down at the young man in the forest. From the void, a formless sense of intimidation descended like a silent kind of threat.
However, Feng Ci did not cower.
The QianQiu Sword vibrated and emitted a sword cry. Under this practically suffocating spiritual pressure, Feng Ci slowly took a step forward.
“I am indebted to you, so I originally didn’t want things to become like this, but the idiot on top of that cliff, he’s a…… very important person to me. I can’t just stand by and watch as you take away his life. These 3000 years, you can take as a compensation for the debt I owe you back then. As for right now……”
“What do you plan to do?” The Heavenly Principles finally spoke: “Defying the Heavenly Principles, do you know the consequences—”
“I know.” Feng Ci interrupted him.
He maintained a smile on his face, however, there was no hint of amusement in his eyes: “However, just as you had said, you released the contract between us. I am no longer the Son of Heaven. Therefore, I no longer need to care as much as before.”
The forest was a complete wreck. Feng Ci stood there quietly. His plain white robes were lifted slightly by the wind. He looked like a fallen immortal, immaculate without any blemish.
“I don’t want to defy the Heavenly Principles. I want to……”
The long sword in Feng Ci’s hand rose high in the air and emitted an extremely pure, golden light. Then the sharp point of the blade pointed directly at that huge, blurry figure.
“Replace you.”
The Heavenly Principles was the authority in charge of this world’s rules and regulations. He controlled millions of little worlds, but there were still free worlds that existed outside of his control. As the Son of Heaven, Feng Ci had no rights to visit those places. He had only seen them once from a far-off distance when passing through the boundaries of the Sumeru Worlds.
Some of those little worlds were abandoned by the Heavenly Principles, left to survive on their own. Some were unwilling to be ruled under the Heavenly Principles’ laws, preferring to be independent.
Feng Ci never knew how those little worlds became independent, but after all of these years, he had some speculations inside his heart.
Before this, Feng Ci had always lived inside this world with the identity of being Son of Heaven. With the contract, he simply obeyed the Heavenly Principles’ commands. However now, Pei QianYue helped him remove those shackles, and also gave him a chance to verify his speculations.
A white light exploded inside the forest. A surge of spirit energy rippled and dispersed in all directions.
Feng Ci held the handle of the QianQiu Sword in both hands. Meanwhile in front of him, that huge figure also brandished a large and heavy broadsword in his hand, which had firmly caught Feng Ci’s sword strike.
The clashing of blades created sparks of friction that reflected within the depths of Feng Ci’s clear limpid eyes.
“The Heavenly Principles normally has no physical form. As such, you can only project an illusion onto every little world. However, if this manifestation is destroyed within the little world, then the Heavenly Principles will have no rights to interfere with that world.” Feng Ci gazed into that blurry face and said with a heavy tone: “Is what I’m saying correct, Father?”
“Do you truly plan to do this?” The Heavenly Principles’ voice remained composed: “All of your Daoist Arts were bestowed to you by the Heavenly Principles. Do you genuinely believe you can win?”
“Originally, I had sought death wholeheartedly. If I die here today, it’s not even a loss.” Feng Ci paused: “However, if I can survive……”
If I can survive, then the Heavenly Principles can no longer interfere with anything within this world. In other words, he can no longer…… take away Pei QianYue’s life.
“……Very well.”
As soon as the Heavenly Principles spoke, a boom of thunder suddenly came from the skies.
A strike of lightning fell from the air and instantly traveled through Feng Ci from head to toe.
Struck unexpectedly by this bolt of lightning from the Heavens, Feng Ci felt like even his internal organs were burning. The heavy sword pressed against his own swung in an arc. Feng Ci hastily backed up a few steps and fell to the ground on one knee.
The dark clouds in the horizons gathered swiftly. However, these clouds were completely different than a moment ago.
Amidst the heavy layers of clouds, a faint sound of thunder could be heard, as if countless fragmented sparks of lightning were swimming amidst the clouds. The wind and clouds billowed, extending outwards thousands of miles.
Enduring the intense pain, Feng Ci looked up towards the skies: “This is—”
This was an image that countless cultivators read about in mystic texts, but have not seen in person for thousands of years.
Mortals called it— The Cloud of Ascension.
Feng Ci has always believed that ascension didn’t actually exist. At least in the world that they resided in, no one has ever successfully ascended. The current knowledge of ascension in the cultivation world was nothing but a lie that Saint Sovereign QianQiu had created randomly. Even he couldn’t achieve it, much less those descendants behind him.
But this Cloud of Ascension……
Inside the cloud, the sound of thunder and lightning continued unceasingly, as if a second bolt of lightning would fall at any time. Feng Ci gazed upwards towards the dome of Heaven and finally understood slowly.
This was actually the biggest secret within this world.
A secret regarding ascension.
The so-called ascension was not only acquiring a high-level cultivation and passing the lightning tribulations. Nor was it like how Feng Ci had received the Art of Dao but fell under the control of the Heavens. True ascension was breaking free from the Heavenly Principles’ restrictions.
And this lightning tribulation was but a part of this process.
Another clap of thunder fell. The sinister white lightning completely engulfed Feng Ci’s figure. However, the next second, a burst of sword energy cut apart that streak of lightning right in midair. Waving his long sword, Feng Ci swept up a gust of wind, along with the fragments of lightning that have yet to scatter, and swung forcefully towards the Heavenly Principles.
Qiang!
The heavy sword blocked Feng Ci’s blade firmly. The turbulent, raging sword energy sliced Feng Ci’s cheek and left a long thin cut.
“Your words are correct.” Feng Ci said softly: “Most of my Daoist techniques were indeed transferred to me by you. But it is exactly because of this that I have a chance at winning.”
As if verifying his words, the glow of the QianQiu Sword suddenly grew exponentially.
Feng Ci’s movements changed.
His bizarre sword techniques became even quicker and more violent than before. The lightning strikes fell one after another, but they didn’t affect Feng Ci’s movements the slightest.
With a ‘puuchi’, the QianQiu Sword pierced through the center of the Heavenly Principles’ chest.
Feng Ci didn’t stop. With increasing strength from his hands, he pushed the Heavenly Principles back a few hastily steps and pinned that huge figure securely against an ancient tree that reached the skies.
Expression heavy as water and hair fluttering behind him, he said softly, word by word: “Because you’re still the same you, but I’m not.”
The Heavenly Principles’ manifestation within the little worlds were eternal and unchanging, but Feng Ci was different.
In these 3000 years, he had visited countless worlds, experienced countless lives and deaths. Each time, it helped his powers grow. This kind of growth might be experience, knowledge, or physical skills. However, regardless of what it was, they were things not possessed by the Heavenly Principles’ manifestation.
This was the greatest advantage that humans had against Heaven.
Man will triumph over nature. This has never been a fantastical boast.
The Heavenly Principles’ grip loosened. The heavy sword in his hand transformed into green wisp and dissipated.
However, Feng Ci didn’t let go.
The Heavenly Principles suddenly asked: “Do you know the consequences of forcing away the Heavenly Principles?”
“Someone must control the rules and regulations of this world. If the person of authority is missing, then one person must fill in the spot.”
Feng Ci paused and chuckled softly: “It looks like… the person to fill that spot right now can only be me.”
The Heavenly Principles: “When you become the Heavenly Principles, you will share life and death with this world. When the time comes, you will still have to face the impending catastrophe in a thousand years resulting from the exhaustion of spirit energy.”
“I know.” Feng Ci raised his head, looked directly at the Heavenly Principles, and said slowly: “But what if the spirit energy of this world won’t dry up? What if…… you’re completely wrong about this?”
The lightning tribulations have yet to end. The wind and clouds continued to churn in the sky, as if accumulating the next lightning strike.
After a moment, that huge figure finally answered slowly: “The Heavenly Principles never makes any mistakes.”
Feng Ci chuckled: “How can there be such an absolute thing in this world?”
“What evidence do you have?”
Feng Ci used his free hand to take out an object from his pocket.
This was a sparkling crystalline glass bottle.
YuChi Chu’s LingGui Essence.
LingGui Essence can replace spirit stone to become the source of energy for Enchanted Machineries. This can lower the consumption rate of spirit stones and conserve spirit energy resources.
A moment later, the Heavenly Principles finished calculating and said slowly: “This substance can indeed reduce the arrival rate for the end of the world, but ultimately it cannot treat the source of the issue. At most, it can delay the day around hundreds to thousands of years.”
“So it can’t postpone the day for too long?” Feng Ci muttered to himself, but his expression didn’t show any hints of defeat. On the contrary, he started smiling: “However, it still managed to delay some, no?”
The Heavenly Principles didn’t answer.
“It’s not like I can predict the future like you, so temporarily, I cannot provide any more evidence.” Feng Ci said: “But doesn’t this substance happen to prove that humankind has ways to delay the end of the world. That catastrophe 1000 years later… might not arrive.”
“Illogical.”
Feng Ci, honestly: “Just a bit, but I still want to give it a try.”
He forcefully pulled out the QianQiu Sword, which was still pierced through the Heavenly Principles chest. A deep sword mark remained in the place where the sword had penetrated.
There was no blood, but it also did not heal.
Holding the sword, Feng Ci stood in front of the Heavenly Principles and said earnestly: “The Heavenly Principles’ ability to predict the future has never been fully accurate. If you can accurately predict the outcome every single time, then why did you not predict today’s arrival 3000 years ago when I spread the Art of Dao to the people of the world. Why didn’t you…… stop me right then and there?”
The Heavenly Principles remained silent.
“Humankind is unpredictable.” Feng Ci said: “The things within this world can change in an instant. Sometimes, even a tiny little discovery, a careless incidental thought, can change many things.”
Just like how Pei QianYue had decided to establish the Immortal Alliance back then, which almost changed the direction of the situation.
“You said that humankind’s greed is endless. This is indeed true. But there are so many people within this world. Some people are greedy, selfish, and unreasonably demanding, but other people also work hard to live a good life, pursuing, advancing, and persevering relentlessly day by day for the ideals within their hearts.”
“Why not give those people a chance? Or are you saying that those people deserve to pay the price for the greedy and avaricious?”
“……Not to mention, do you think you can stop them by sending envoys into the world to kill a few people?”
“During these thousands of years, they have already experienced countless destruction and devastation, any one of them as terrifying as the current catastrophe they face. Yet was there any one time that truly ended their generations of tradition and legacy?”
“Humans are the weakest, yet most tenacious creatures of this world. Even if you kill them all until only one person is left, that person can still ignite one day and start a wildfire.”
“Without the extinction of humankind, the legacy will never end. Can you really stop them?”
The Heavenly Principles fell silent for a very long time.
Just as Feng Ci said. Humankind was the most grandiose creature of this world. This was also why such an extremely precise instrument like the Heavenly Principles can never calculate and judge their existence.
That’s why the Heavenly Principles cannot appear within the world carelessly, incapable of interfering with the development of the current state of affairs.
Unless the world encountered a major crisis.
After a long time, the Heavenly Principles said: “You have defeated the Heavenly Principles today. I can give you 1000 years.”
“In these 1000 years, you hold authority over this world’s rules and regulations. You can do whatever you want.”
“However in 1000 years, if the situation still does not change, the Heavenly Principles will regain rights over this world once again.”
“Even if the situation turns for the better, I will still return as much of the authority back to you.” Feng Ci said: “I’m a human. Not as patient as you, capable of worrying continuously for eternity. 1000 years is enough.”
He curbed the smile on his face and said seriously: “In these 1000 years, I will remain in this world and guide humankind to walk onto the correct path. I can promise you that the foretold catastrophe will not arrive. The human race will find another way.”
These words of his seemed to have left an imprint mysteriously and inexplicably on the world. The Cloud of Ascension in the sky suddenly changed again.
A bolt of lightning that’s even thicker and more intense than previous fell down, completely engulfing Feng Ci’s figure.
However, this time Feng Ci didn’t feel any kind of pain. He stood inside that lightning strike, his four limbs and hundreds of bones burning down and regrowing afresh under this bolt of lightning. His senses became even more clear and distinctive than before, as if he could hear every single sound within this world.
However, this kind of rebirth didn’t actually bring freedom. Mesmerized by the extremely sharp and keen sense, Feng Ci dazed off for quite a while before his thoughts finally returned slowly; he heard his own panicked gasps for breath.
Feng Ci looked up. The Heavenly Principles looked down at him with a lowered head.
“Do you feel that? This is only an even heavier set of chains.” The Heavenly Principles’ voice spoke up next to his ears once again: “You spent 3000 years to finally acquire freedom. Now you have to give it up again personally. Is it worth it?”
“I don’t know.” Feng Ci stood up little by little with the sword in his hand: “I only know, if I don’t do this, I will definitely regret it.”
“Because to me right now, there is something more important than freedom in this world.”
The reconstructed body gave him even more abundant spirit energy than before. The surroundings around Feng Ci’s body started to glow. Within that light, he swung his sword—
“Goodbye, Father.”
The wind gradually stopped. A beam of light pierced through the sky, dispersing the heavy layer of clouds.
Catching the wind, Feng Ci flew up to the peak of the cliff. Immediately, he saw the person who had fallen there.
Pei QianYue’s head of fine black hair had completely turned brittle white. A pale hand reached out of his robes, gradually turning ashen white and ice-cold.
Feng Ci knelt down on one knee, bent down, and pulled this already lifeless body into his arms.
“Idiot.” Feng Ci said softly.
The breeze from the horizons encircled the two of them. The spirit energy contained within the wind slowly transferred back inside the body.
The Heavenly Principles has lost his authority in this world. As a result, he no longer has any reason to take away Pei QianYue’s spirit energy.
Pei QianYue’s body started to glow. This was the spirit energy currently returning to his body.
Feng Ci placed Pei QianYue back on the ground. The other’s originally withered and emaciated body began to recover rapidly. The color of blood also gradually returned to his face.
Very quickly, his fingers moved slightly. Then he woke up.
In a flash, Feng Ci withdrew his hand, which originally covered the back of the other’s hand.
Pei QianYue’s consciousness was still slightly dazed. He turned his head extremely slowly to face Feng Ci’s location: “……Master?”
His spirit energy still has yet to merge back fully into his body, so he was unable to view things with his spirit energy. However, even in complete darkness, he can still clearly sense Feng Ci’s presence.
Feng Ci cleared his throat and made a stern face: “En. It’s me.”
“The Heavenly Principles…..” Pei QianYue’s voice was quiet and hoarse.
Feng Ci said coolly: “He left.”
His voice was frigid and clear. He has never used this kind of tone to speak to Pei QianYue before.
Pei QianYue moved slightly, as if he wanted to sit up. However, as soon as he lifted his arm, he was immediately pressed down by Feng Ci: “What are you doing? Your spirit energy has not yet been restored. Do you not want to live anymore?”
Ice cold hands covered his and gently grasped Feng Ci’s hands: “Want to touch you.”
Feng Ci’s expression changed again and again. Ultimately, he didn’t have the heart to pull his hand away.
Pei QianYue’s body was still very weak. His hair had also remained brittle white. Feng Ci knew that this was because the Heavenly Principles still removed a portion of his spirit energy.
It was the price that Pei QianYue agreed to pay previously, the price of defying the Will of the Heavens.
The Heavenly Principles never makes a losing bargain.
Nevertheless, this person was still alive; that was already enough.
After some more time passed, Pei QianYue asked: “How did Master find your way here?”
Feng Ci’s gaze landed on the other’s brittle white hair and said with a temper: “If I didn’t come, was I supposed to wait for you to die?”
The power of his soul was extremely strong. That drug Pei QianYue used to knock him out really couldn’t last very long.
And fortunately that was the case.
Feng Ci doesn’t even dare to recall the feeling he had waking up alone in LingWu Mountain. He squeezed his eyes shut and forcibly suppressed the emotions that surged belatedly in the aftermath— shock, panic, and…… fear.
If he had arrived just a bit later……
Pei QianYue stopped talking again. Feng Ci was filled with fury with no place to vent. He said gloomily: “Are you dumbfounded? Isn’t there anything you want to say to me?”
“There is.” Pei QianYue said quietly: “I’m sorry.”
Sorry for acting on my own.
Sorry for letting you worry.
“……But I don’t regret it.” Pei QianYue’s voice was very soft, as if he needed to consume a huge amount of strength to say each sentence: “I’ll never regret dying for you.”
The rims of Feng Ci’s eyes turned red instantly.
He shifted his gaze, closed his eyes, and sighed silently: “Anything else.”
“Actually yes.” Pei QianYue grabbed Feng Ci’s hand with all his strength and revealed a slightly weak, but extremely beautiful smile: “Yesterday, I said something wrong.”
“You are my God, have always been.”
I see why this has been revised. The previous ending seemed a bit rushed!
Xiaohei became Xiao Bai oh nooo
This version is “fuller”, extended and more logical than previous one~ It’s great to see that the author-sama decided to do it! First version was quite rushed while being good, but this one is excelent! ♡(> ਊ <)♡
Thank You for the new chapter (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
I really like this version!
Thank you for your translation 💜💜💜💜
whoa, this is completely different and makes somewhat a lot more sense
Wahhh I’m confused! Why is there two versions? Any authors notes?
Sorry, I explained on twitter, but forgot to explain here I guess. The author updated the last two chapters later on because of feedback from readers. So there’s two versions.
Hmm the 1st version was fine
Great revised. Thank you
I also prefer the original. The idea that “you can’t defy the will of the heavens” comes up numerous times throughout the novel. The ending is meant to challenge that. However, the message of the ending isn’t as strong if Feng Ci just takes over the position of the heavens.
Having the Heavenly Principles be defeated like this also makes them seem like some kind of antagonist, but that was never the case. The Heavenly Principles represent all the rules, thoughts, etc. of the world. They were never evil; they just predicted that culling cultivators would give the world the best chance of surviving. Feng Ci’s negotiation is about whether those cultivators can live and still beat the odds of destruction. The message has more impact in the original because it shows that humans can succeed without the help of the Heavenly Principles, though their tenacity and even small things like LuChi Chu’s discovery of LingGui Essence.
+1, I completely agree! Besides, this ending gives me Drangon Ball vibes, when Goku finds an enemy he can’t defeat but suddenly gets a power-up and ends up destroying the problem altogether, which is a pity because Feng Ci isn’t a muscle-brained character at all.
Also, maybe because I waited to be able to binge read, I didn’t find any problems with the pacing in the previous ending. All in all, I also believe the original was better, but alas! Feng Ci may not be a god, but the author is. 🤷🏻♀️
This new take for the secret behind ascension was actually a great one. I’m glad the author thought of this revision ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
I vote for the original version. The journey and the character growth was more important than the end result…. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading both versions…so thank you 🙏
omfg this ending was tooo good I love it 😍❤️🖤
Hm, I’m not sure what to think… While this ending does have some neat ideas and an interesting twist, I also agree with what some others have said about it taking away some of the message about defying the will of the Heavens. Breaking free of heavenly authority is very different from becoming it. But thanks a lot for taking the time and effort to translate both versions!
The first version to me is also fine while the revised is more detailed.