This was a vast expanse of desolate chaos.
Everything between heaven and earth had been swallowed by an empty void—no life, no time, no future, no past.
Xiao Yuyan stood silently amidst the endless chaos, surrounded by an eternal frost that seemed untouched by time. The cold was bitter and unyielding, deterring any presence that dared approach him.
His eyes were dark and tranquil, yet they seemed to hold the ever-shifting tides of the world within them. The laws of heaven and the principles of existence lay hidden in their depths, yet they remained firmly under his control.
For a hundred years, every blade of grass, every shift in the cultivation world had passed before his gaze, only to vanish into nothingness the next moment. Only the faintest trace of that person in the heavens made his gaze linger—for just a fleeting instant.
And only for an instant.
The red mole on his left wrist remained faint and dull, quietly disappearing into the boundless chaos.
A century ago, nothing and no one had ever caught Xiao Yuyan’s attention.
A century later, the Heavenly Dao, stripped of all memories, remained as indifferent as ever.
The Heavenly Dao had never known emotion.
If there had been a Void-Shattering Supreme in existence, they might have sensed the subtle shifts in the Heavenly Dao’s power.
But alas, the highest cultivation in the entire cultivation world barely reached the late-stage Transcendent Tribulation realm—not a single half-step Void-Shattering cultivator had emerged.
And so, even as countless top-tier experts gathered on Huiyun Street, not a single one noticed anything amiss.
When Xu Wanci spoke those words within the pocket realm, the Taiqing Sect disciples had already begun to suspect her intentions. Yet even with their guesses, they still couldn’t bring themselves to believe it.
This was the Formless Divine Stone!
A treasure coveted by countless powerhouses, imbued with the power of the Heavenly Dao, capable of granting any cultivator’s deepest desire!
If Xu Wanci had wished to enhance her cultivation, she could have skipped centuries—even millennia—of arduous training, ascending directly to the Great Ascension realm.
With her talent and fortune, once she reached Great Ascension, she might even have contended with Chu Qingchuan, the future unrivaled genius of their era, for the sole path to the Great Dao.
Yet she… gave it up.
She abandoned easily attainable power, discarded the Formless Divine Stone—the very thing every cultivator dreamed of, the treasure they would sacrifice everything for.
They all knew of Xu Wanci’s unwavering devotion to the Immortal Venerable. They knew her sword heart, her relentless cultivation—all of it was for the sake of finding even the faintest sliver of hope to wake him.
But…
But could someone truly abandon everything for another person?
That sliver of hope, so elusive it might never be found—could it really compare to the power right before her eyes?
Even the Second Elder, who had always been deeply moved by Xu Wanci and the Immortal Venerable’s love, couldn’t hide the disbelief in his eyes.
Perhaps no cultivator in the entire cultivation world could believe that someone could be so… foolish.
To spend a lifetime chasing after another.
A man who had been dead for a hundred years—a man who could never return.
When Xu Wanci uttered the words, "I want Xiao Yuyan to wake up," even though the Taiqing Sect disciples had braced themselves, they still froze in shock, barely noticing when the pocket realm around them shattered.
Ji Wang’s thoughts were not far from theirs.
He knew of Xu Wanci’s devotion to the Immortal Venerable. He knew of her century-long wait, devoid of hope.
But he had never witnessed it firsthand—everything he knew had come from the words of others.
He had only seen her lost and hollow after losing the one she loved. He had never seen the desperate longing for death, the heart-stopping trials she had endured before he appeared.
Now, watching Xu Wanci smile as she made her wish upon the Formless Divine Stone, he finally understood—the depth of her love for the Immortal Venerable.
A love so fierce, so consuming, it spanned a hundred years.
Compared to this, his own century of reverence, all his efforts—they seemed like nothing more than a hollow farce.
A farce he had performed to soothe his own conscience.
No wonder.
No wonder Xu Wanci had warned him to examine his heart, to see the hypocrisy in his Dao heart.
At this moment, Ji Wang couldn’t untangle the emotions in his chest—shock, admiration, awe… or was it envy?
His expression was icy as he slowly tightened his grip on the Jiyun Blade.
Now that the Formless Divine Stone was destroyed, the situation would only grow more chaotic.
The Wuji Sect had been his refuge.
He would not turn against his sect, nor could he stop the elders’ desperate greed for the stone.
But he would not betray his own heart either.
What he sought within was his true Dao heart.
Pressing his lips together, he murmured something to the Wuji Sect elders. Their expressions shifted, even the enraged Flame Venerable calming slightly.
Once he secured their promise, Ji Wang stared ahead impassively.
At this moment, aside from his sect and Xu Wanci—everyone else was an enemy.
Among the Jiang Family…
Unlike the others, frozen in shock, Jiang Ze’s expression never wavered from its quiet intensity.
At some point, he had subtly positioned himself in the path where the Jiang Family’s patriarch was most likely to strike.
He had known for a long time that his cultivation wasn’t enough to protect Xu Wanci.
That he could never shield her from the dangers that always seemed to find her.
He had thought that once his strength grew, once he could stand beside her, he might one day earn her glance.
A hundred years wasn’t enough? Then two hundred. Even a thousand.
But now, watching Xu Wanci make a wish that could never come true, his gaze was unbearably tender—and unbearably sorrowful.
He knew, with painful clarity, that Xu Wanci would never love another.
The name "Immortal Venerable Qingyan" would forever define her life.
She would scour every corner of the cultivation world for that sliver of hope, no matter the cost.
A love this all-consuming—it would drain her of everything.
She would never love him.
Never.
For the first time, the ever-privileged Young Master of the Jiang Family understood the agony of unrequited love.
The bitterness spreading through his chest made the Great Ascension-level spiritual power in his dantian surge—only to be forcibly suppressed.
In this moment, when he realized his desires would never be fulfilled, the pain wasn’t for himself.
At least he could still stand behind her. At least he could still see her.
But what about her?
She had nothing but that fragile thread of hope, exhausted yet unable to collapse, forced to keep moving forward.
To search for a salvation that might not even exist.
How… how much must she be suffering?
Beside Jiang Ze, the Jiang Family’s patriarch finally grasped what had happened. His three thousand white strands of hair stirred without wind.
He was just one step away from reaching the Void-Shattering realm.
With the support of the Jiang Family and his late-stage Transcendent Tribulation cultivation, he was the most likely candidate to obtain the Formless Divine Stone.
Yet everything was ruined!
Now, he could only continue living out his remaining few hundred years of lifespan, waiting for his inevitable end.
Xu Wanci—she deserved to die!
At this moment, he paid no attention to what Xu Wanci had just said or done. Feeling the dissipating power of the Heavenly Dao around him, his eyes burned crimson.
The spiritual energy of a late-stage Transcendent Tribulation cultivator, infused with boundless killing intent, surged toward the culprit.
The moment the spiritual energy stirred, Jiang Ze, who stood closest to him, acted without hesitation. Channeling all his power, he shielded Xu Wanci with his own body, unleashing the frigid, inky-dark energy of his Abyssal Water cultivation.
The difference between the late-stage Mahayana realm and late-stage Transcendent Tribulation was three entire realms.
Even for a prodigy of this era, a single realm gap was an insurmountable chasm—let alone three.
Jiang Ze’s face instantly paled, blood seeping from his body as his black robes darkened further. Blood dripped endlessly from his sleeves, freezing and corroding the earth beneath him.
Had the Jiang Family’s patriarch not held back at the last moment, Jiang Ze’s cultivation would have been completely destroyed.
The patriarch’s voice resonated directly in Jiang Ze’s soul:
"Jiang Ze, step aside."
Jiang Ze remained before him, battered yet composed, his gaze steady.
"The Formless Divine Stone is already destroyed. Does the patriarch wish to ruin his last hope of reaching the Void-Shattering realm?"
With his own strength, Jiang Ze couldn’t stop all the Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses at once. His only option was to focus on restraining the Jiang Family.
He knew that in the face of the patriarch’s fury, a mere direct descendant of the Jiang Family meant nothing.
A Mahayana cultivator? The Jiang Family could easily replace him by selecting numerous talented branch family disciples and forcibly elevating them to the Young Master rank through sheer numbers.
Yet despite this, Jiang Ze refused to yield.
Under the patriarch’s overwhelming pressure, Jiang Ze suppressed the pain from his shattered dantian and the foreign spiritual energy clashing with his Mahayana cultivation. Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he stood firm.
He still had one last trump card—one that could force everyone to stop at the right moment.
As the Jiang Family patriarch’s power erupted, the other Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses reacted instantly, their fury directed at Xu Wanci.
Early and mid-stage Transcendent Tribulation cultivators were angry, but they knew the Formless Divine Stone would never have fallen into their hands.
The true rage belonged to those like the Jiang Family patriarch—late-stage Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses, just one step from Void-Shattering.
In the entire cultivation world, there were only thirteen late-stage Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses. With the backing of their sects or families, their chances of obtaining the Formless Divine Stone had been immense.
Yet now, the opportunity that could have elevated them to the Void-Shattering realm had been destroyed right before their eyes.
How could they not be furious?
The Taiqing Sect had long prepared for this. The moment the spiritual energy surged, Ning Menglan swiftly activated a defensive formation around Xu Wanci—one nearly as powerful as the Taiqing Sect’s grand protective array.
With this formation, she would be safe for at least the time it took an incense stick to burn.
Within that time, Ning Menglan had to find a way to quell the fury of the Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses.
Otherwise, even with the full might of the Taiqing Sect, they stood no chance against half the cultivation world’s strongest.
The Taiqing Sect’s Grand Elder, their only late-stage Transcendent Tribulation powerhouse, stepped forward, intercepting the most devastating strike.
Of course, he too had desired the Formless Divine Stone…
But he didn’t spare a glance at Xu Wanci behind him, instead fixing a stern gaze on his opponents.
"The path of cultivation has always been one of competition. Xu Wanci obtained the Formless Divine Stone—she had every right to use it."
Moreover, given her identity, she might still have a chance to reach the Void-Shattering realm—but only if she survived.
The other Taiqing Sect elders, though weaker in cultivation, managed to block most of the attacks. Yet against the remaining onslaught, they were powerless, forced to watch as the barrage struck the defensive formation.
Then, a sky-rending blade energy severed all remaining attacks.
Before the formation stood Ji Wang, his face deathly pale, his crimson robes a striking contrast.
No one knew what he had communicated via divine sense, but the Wuji Sect’s leader and all its elders refrained from attacking Xu Wanci.
Of course, they also did nothing to stop the other powerhouses, merely observing the chaos unfold.
Through sheer effort, the Taiqing Sect and Ji Wang barely managed to hold off the enraged Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses.
But if this continued, they would exhaust their spiritual energy and face inevitable defeat.
Seizing a brief lull in the attacks, Ning Menglan’s voice boomed:
"Do you even know who you’re trying to kill?"
"She is the only bond the Immortal Venerable Qingyan has left in this world! If you kill her, you will never sever your karmic ties with him!"
"The Formless Divine Stone is already gone—do you wish to destroy this even greater opportunity?"
Yet the powerhouses showed no mercy. Ning Menglan barely dodged an attack, his Mahayana cultivation no match for their might.
Gritting his teeth, he shouted:
"This is a chance within reach for all of you!"
"A true opportunity, right before your eyes!"
But the enraged crowd couldn’t be swayed by mere words.
Immortal Venerable Qingyan?
A joke!
That the Taiqing Sect would resort to such deception for a single disciple… they truly deserved death!
As the attacks grew fiercer, Ning Menglan pressed on:
"Did you not hear the name Xu Wanci called out?"
"That was the Immortal Venerable’s true name!"
Seeing some powerhouses hesitate, the Second Elder quickly added:
"If Xu Wanci had no ties to the Immortal Venerable, how could she have made… such a wish?"
"Only someone with an unfathomably deep connection to him could achieve something like this!"
Most of the Ten Great Sects’ powerhouses halted their attacks. They had witnessed Xu Wanci wielding the Soul-Refining Tome in the ancient battlefield and knew of her connection to the Immortal Venerable.
Though furious over the Formless Divine Stone’s destruction, they had vented their anger and regained some rationality.
Now, even some early and mid-stage Transcendent Tribulation powerhouses from other families and sects began to reconsider.
After all, even if the Formless Divine Stone still existed, they would have only been able to gaze at it—not claim it.
But if Xu Wanci truly had such a profound connection to the Immortal Venerable, her value far surpassed that of an unattainable divine stone.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, they wouldn’t lose out.
Consider it giving the Taiqing Sect face.
Most of the Venerables halted their actions.
Only the dozen or so late-stage Transcendence Realm Venerables remained relentless, their spiritual energy undiminished.
These were the ones whose interests had truly been harmed by Xu Wanci, and they wouldn’t stop just because of a few words from the Taiqing Sect.
The Grand Elder of Pingyang Sect surveyed the scene with a face dark as storm clouds:
“Who can say whether your Taiqing Sect’s claims are true or false?”
“A disciple not even two hundred years old, merely at the Nascent Soul stage—even if she had some connection to the Immortal Venerable back then, how close could it have been?”
His hands never paused as he spoke, unleashing his signature technique—the Drunken Cloud Needles.
The spiritual needles tore through the air, causing the Taiqing Sect members to pale. Three elders acted simultaneously, barely blocking the attack, though the weakest among them, the Third Elder, already had a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.
Another needle was intercepted by Ji Wang, whose ever-present Cloud-Severing Blade was knocked from his grasp for the first time, landing several meters away.
At this moment, Honorable Hanyun swept a glance over those who had stopped and spoke with suppressed fury:
“Is karma truly so important?”
“If karma were real, why would the Taiqing Sect be in such a wretched state?”
Indeed, the Taiqing Sect members were in dire straits—spiritual energy depleted, most grievously wounded, barely holding on, on the verge of collapse.
A Venerable mused thoughtfully in agreement:
“Honorable Hanyun speaks sense. This person seems to have brought nothing but trouble to the Taiqing Sect.”
“Where is the so-called opportunity?”
From a corner came another voice: “Indeed, karma may be worth pausing for, but who knows what repaying it might demand? Must we carve out our lives for her?”
“The Formless Divine Stone was a treasure we saw with our own eyes, within reach—just one step away!”
Ning Menglan watched as Honorable Hanyun, Flame Venerable, and the others refused to relent, his heart sinking.
The Formless Divine Stone was far too rare and precious. A few words wouldn’t quell their fury.
Just as he frantically racked his brain for a solution, a light chuckle came from nearby:
“You wanted to witness this so-called karma, didn’t you?”
Jiang Ze’s head was lowered, his blood-soaked robe fluttering without wind. Seeing the astonishment on everyone’s faces, he smiled and released the restrictions he’d placed on his dantian.
Thick thunderclouds began gathering overhead.
Someone looked up, eyes wide with shock:
“That’s Transcendence Tribulation Lightning!”
“Jiang Ze is undergoing his tribulation!”
A four-hundred-year-old Transcendence Venerable—Jiang Ze’s advancement speed could rank among the top five in the last millennium.
It seemed the Jiang Family’s position as the foremost cultivation clan would remain unchallenged for a long time.
The Jiang Family Head first rejoiced, then his expression turned grave. His voice was sharper than ever:
“A’Ze, stop this at once!”
Breaking through to the Mahayana Realm required only top-tier talent and an abundance of rare treasures.
But reaching the Transcendence Realm demanded not just talent but immense fortune—a fleeting moment of enlightenment under the perfect alignment of time, place, and circumstance.
The Jiang Family had only five Transcendence Venerables, yet this was enough to rival the greatest sects of the cultivation world.
If Jiang Ze succeeded, he would become the sixth.
But…
The Family Head thought of Jiang Ze’s injuries, sustained while stopping the Ancestor from attacking Xu Wanci, and his face darkened:
“There’s still time. Heal your wounds first.”
“Stop now, and I’ll take you to the Jiang Family’s secret realm for the tribulation!”
Jiang Ze ignored him, calmly addressing the crowd:
“Now, do you still believe the karma tied to Xu Wanci is unimportant?”
Even Honorable Hanyun stared at him in disbelief.
Jiang Ze had only been at the late-stage Mahayana Realm for a few decades. Without an extraordinary opportunity, advancement was impossible.
His gaze flickered toward Xu Wanci, shielded within the defensive formation, before settling into cold resolve.
Losing the Formless Divine Stone was one thing—he couldn’t afford to lose another chance.
Then Gu Yunqi stepped forward: “I was stuck at the early-stage Transcendence Realm for centuries. It wasn’t until a month ago, after helping Xu Wanci regain her will to live, that I achieved enlightenment and broke through.”
“Don’t you all wish to advance further?”
Flame Venerable was convinced—he knew of Gu Yunqi’s long stagnation—but his face twisted with unwillingness. Through gritted teeth, he spat:
“So the destruction of the Formless Divine Stone just goes unpunished?”
Another Venerable glanced at the thickening thunderclouds and chided Flame Venerable with feigned concern:
“Venerable, you’re being unreasonable. Treasures belong to the worthy. Xu Wanci obtained it and used it—what crime is there?”
The same man who’d been eager to kill Xu Wanci moments ago now wore an amiable smile, stroking his beard as he praised:
“With such fortune and resolve, this girl is destined for greatness.”
“I offer my congratulations in advance to the Taiqing Sect for nurturing such talent!”
Ning Menglan exhaled in relief, clasping his hands politely as if the earlier conflict had never happened:
“You flatter us, Venerable.”
“Today is inconvenient, but should you visit the Taiqing Sect in the future, I’ll prepare a grand feast in your honor.”
The other Venerables quickly followed suit. None knew how to resolve Xu Wanci’s karma, but currying favor couldn’t hurt.
Thus, Flame Venerable became their stepping stone.
“Just a spiritual treasure. Unlike some, I can accept defeat.”
“I merely came to observe. Meeting such an outstanding Taiqing Sect disciple makes this trip worthwhile.”
“I…”
Flame Venerable listened to the others subtly belittling him to praise Xu Wanci, his face black with rage:
“Who said I intended to harm Xu Wanci?”
“I was merely… voicing thoughts. I won’t act.”
His words sounded forced, torn between fury and pretense.
“I took a liking to her at first sight. I wish to invite her to the Shen Family as a guest.”
“Surely Sect Leader Ning won’t object?”
From a distance, Jiang Ze’s voice was icy:
“If you seek something from someone, you should act accordingly.”
“Karma is heaven’s will. Forceful methods will only backfire.”
He didn’t look at Flame Venerable, his gaze fixed on the Jiang Family Ancestor instead:
“Ancestor, don’t you agree?”
The Ancestor’s eyes turned frosty. Assessing the nearly formed tribulation clouds, he said coldly:
“I won’t lay a hand on her.”
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Get to the secret realm. One more delay, and you’ll die under that lightning.”
Now, Jiang Ze was the one most likely to reach the late-stage of Transcendent Tribulation in the Jiang Family—the future of their lineage.
He could not, and would not, lay a hand on him.
His gaze carried a heavy, oppressive weight as it swept indifferently over Xu Wanci before he finally turned away with a flick of his sleeve.
His time was running out; he had no luxury to test the threads of karma woven around her step by step.
Jiang Ze finally let out a breath of relief.
The pain in his dantian felt like shattering glass, and he lowered his eyes slightly.
He knew no one would pose a threat to Xu Wanci now, and under the anxious gaze of the Jiang Family’s patriarch, he finally stepped away.
Ning Menglan watched Jiang Ze’s retreating figure, each step leaving a bloody imprint behind, and exhaled faintly.
This time, they owed it all to Jiang Ze.
Had he not forced a breakthrough despite his injuries, the others wouldn’t have calmed down so quickly.
And then… there was Ji Wang.
He turned his head toward the man kneeling on the ground, his spiritual energy long exhausted, and a flicker of gratitude passed through his eyes.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming no one would harm Xu Wanci, Ning Menglan finally dispelled the protective array around her.
Xu Wanci remained kneeling on the ground, her long skirt a tapestry of blue and red, spread out like a blood-stained fan.
Neither the earlier conflict nor the scrutinizing gazes of those present had moved her in the slightest.
She stared blankly at her empty palm, blinking slowly.
So, even the Formless Divine Stone wasn’t enough.
What else was there?
In this world of cultivation, what else could save him?
When she lifted her head, her gaze toward the horizon carried a weariness that spanned centuries—bone-deep, marrow-deep.
Just as she closed her eyes, sunlight pierced through the clouds, warm and radiant, spilling over her like a blessing.
