Ruin Qi

"Boom--!"

A streak of crimson -Sword Light tore through the clouds, moving so fast that even space itself couldn't close up.

Chen Changqing rode his sword, with Xiaoqian transforming into a white shadow and following closely behind.

We need to go faster.

Chen Yuan's half-spoken words still echoed in his ears: Mount Shu couldn't hold on any longer. If they had been a step too late, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The Nine Provinces Continent beneath my feet has changed its appearance.

The once most prosperous and fertile Fertile Plains of the Eastern Region are now scorched earth. Cities have collapsed, and the official roads are full of refugees. On their faces, there is an expression that Chen Changqing is very familiar with.

Despair.

A woman holding a child fell to the ground by the roadside. The child was crying loudly, but she didn't even have the strength to get up.

An elderly man with white hair sat on the ruins, holding a memorial tablet in his arms, his eyes vacant.

A group of Cultivators flew low overhead on their swords, not daring to even glance down.

What the hell? How could the Eastern Region have deteriorated so much in just seven days? Where are all those major sects? They used to pride themselves on Champion of the righteous path, but now they've all cowered away like tortoises?

"Senior brother."

Xiaoqian's voice sounded a little strained.

"The gas seeping from those cracks is consuming the Earth Veins."

Chen Changqing looked down.

Sure enough, beneath the ground, the Spirit Veins were turning black and drying up, their Spiritual Qi being drained.

"Ruin Qi."

His eyes turned cold.

In the inherited memories of the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor, this thing is called "Ruins," which devours Spiritual Qi, Principle, and life force. Wherever it goes, Immortal Mountains turn into dead lands, and Spirit Fields turn into deserts.

It seems those guys in the Upper Realm have really gone all out this time, even releasing such filthy things that could wipe out their lineage. In other words, they have no intention of preserving the foundation of the Nine Provinces; they want to completely destroy this realm!

We need to understand the current battle situation first; we can't just rush in blindly.

"Let's go, let's find someone and ask them first."

The Sword Light flashed and fell towards a relatively intact small town below.

On the city wall, dozens of Cultivators were fiercely guarding a breach.

Outside the breach, a dozen or so gray-black monsters resembling lizards hovered low in the air. With each breath of gray air they exhaled, a large section of the city wall rotted away.

"Ruin Beast."

These low-level cannon fodder dare to run rampant in the Eastern Region. Perfect, let's test our skills with them first and see how these Ruin Beasts of the Nine Provinces differ from those in our inherited memories.

Chen Changqing landed on the city wall.

The city-guarding Cultivator was startled and was about to draw his sword when he saw him swing it out.

There was no Sword Light.

There was only one gust of wind.

More than a dozen Ruin Beasts froze in mid-air, then were scattered by the wind, falling to the ground in a flurry of dust.

[Ding! Slayed 13 Ruin Beasts, AFK Points +260,000.]

Only 260,000 AFK Points?

Looks like they're just the lowest-level cannon fodder, not even enough to fill a tooth gap. But every little bit helps, I'll just take care of them along the way. Once we get to Mount Shu, there will be plenty of big fish.

There was not a sound from the city wall.

A middle-aged Cultivator swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice, "Senior, who are you?"

"Mount Shu, Chen Changqing."

"Chen... Chen Holy Son?!"

The Cultivator's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

"You are Chen Changqing, the Chen Holy Son of Mount Shu?!"

"It's me."

Chen Changqing reached out and lifted him up. There was no time to waste on pleasantries; he needed to quickly find out about the situation at Mount Shu.

"Tell me, what happened?"

"The sky has cracked! Three days ago, countless fissures suddenly appeared in the sky, and those monsters poured out from the cracks!"

"They kill anyone they see and devour any Spirit Veins they find. All Ten Great Sacred Lands have suffered; the Divine Dynasty, the Medicine God Valley, and the True Dragon Clan are fighting everywhere!"

Chen Changqing's brows furrowed even more deeply.

Three days ago?

Three days ago, I was still arguing with the Nine Netherworlds Emperor in the depths of hell. Why did they choose that exact moment for a full-scale invasion? Is someone in the Upper Realm tracking my movements and deliberately taking advantage of my absence from the Yang Realm?

"What about Mount Shu?"

"Mount Shu..."

The Cultivator swallowed hard, his eyes darting away, not daring to look Chen Changqing in the eye.

"Mount Shu has been besieged for three days. I heard that three monsters at the Tribulation Immortal level and 100,000 Ruin Soldiers have arrived. Three of the Nine Elders of Mount Shu have been dispatched, but they still can't hold them off."

"Half of the Mountain Protection Array has been breached, and countless disciples have been killed or injured..."

"When I escaped, I saw that the sky above Mount Shu was filled with blood-red clouds."

Chen Changqing's hands clenched tighter and tighter.

Three Celestial Tribulation Immortals, 100,000 Ruin Soldiers!

What a grand gesture!

The Nine Elders of Mount Shu usually remain in seclusion on the back mountain, only venturing out when faced with the imminent threat of annihilation. Now that even they couldn't hold out, no wonder Master and Chen Yuan's Communication Jade Talisman were all shattered!

We must quickly arrange a way out here; we can't let all the people of the Eastern Region become food for the Ruin Beasts. The Ruin Beasts can increase their cultivation by eating people, so we absolutely cannot let them fatten up in the Eastern Region before attacking the Central Province.

What's your name?

"Zhao, Zhao Wuji, elder of the Flying Cloud Sect."

Zhao Wuji.

Chen Changqing remembered this name. Back at Black Wood Cliff, he had saved the Flying Cloud Sect once. It seemed this person still had some backbone, unlike those cowards in the sky who simply abandoned the city and fled. He was usable.

"Go east to the Maple Leaf Dynasty, find Empress Liu Ruyan, and tell her what I said, ask her to send a ship to pick up the refugees."

Liu Ruyan has several Formation Disk left by me from back then, plus the warships of the Imperial Dynasty navy, so defending the East Sea coast shouldn't be a problem. It's better to evacuate the refugees eastward than to leave them here to die.

"Well!"

Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly, then couldn't help but ask, "Chen Holy Son, you... you're going to Mount Shu alone?"

"Not alone."

Xiaoqian stepped out from behind Chen Changqing, her white clothes fluttering in the wind.

Zhao Wuji only then noticed her, and sensing the faint Immortal Qi of a Tribulation Immortal, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down again.

Let's go.

Chen Changqing said no more, and his Sword Light soared into the sky.

"Senior brother."

Xiaoqian caught up, her voice low, "There's something behind those cracks."

"I know."

When I was slaying those dozen or so Ruin Beasts, I sensed several gazes sweeping over from high above. Although they withdrew quickly, who else but those old fogies from the Upper Realm could possess such an arrogant and condescending attitude?

"Stronger than that Primordial Demon Body..."

Chen Changqing remained silent for a moment.

It's stronger than the Primordial Demon Body; it must be at least at the peak of the Tribulation Immortal, or even a half-step True Immortal.

So what? I've already cleaved through demonic bodies in the Nine Netherworlds, and I still have tens of millions of AFK Points. If they dare to show their faces, I'll just use them as a sacrifice for my sword!

"Then beat them until they dare not come out."

The Sword Light accelerated again, tearing through the sky.

Chen Changqing stopped after flying less than a thousand miles.

Below, a small mountain village is surrounded by three-headed Ruin Beasts.

The fence at the village entrance had been burned down, and dozens of villagers huddled inside the ancestral hall, using tables and chairs to prop up the door. The door was being pounded on repeatedly, and with each thud, cries and screams could be heard from inside.

"Senior brother."

"Go."

I don't need to do it myself; it's good to let Xiaoqian practice. She has just regained her physical body and needs to adapt to the Heaven and Earth Laws of the Yang Realm world so that she won't be unfamiliar with them when they go to Mount Shu for the big battle.

Xiaoqian leaped forward, her white robes landing at the village entrance.

The Merit Golden Lotus unfolded beneath her feet, and Golden Light bathed the three-headed Ruin Beast.

The three-headed monster didn't even have time to scream before it turned into three specks of black smoke and vanished.

It seems the Merit Golden Lotus is also a natural counter to this kind of filth. That puts my mind at ease. When we get to Mount Shu, I can have Xiaoqian unleash her ultimate move to clear the area, and I'll go and slay those three Tribulation Immortals.

The crying inside the ancestral hall stopped.

The door was pushed open a crack, and an old man peeked out. Upon seeing Xiaoqian, he knelt down with a thud.

"Fairy Maiden! Fairy Maiden, save me!"

"Stand up."

Xiaoqian helped him up, her voice very soft.

"Head east to the Maple Leaf Dynasty. Someone will be there to meet you."

"There are monsters to the east too!"

The old man had a mournful face, was trembling all over, and was gripping the door frame tightly with his hands.

It seems the official road to the Eastern Region has been cut off. Mortals without cultivation will be devoured by the Ruin Beasts that appear halfway before they even reach the East Sea.

Since the east is impassable, the only option is to go west. Although the fighting is fierce in the Central Province, once I lift the siege of Mount Shu, the area within a radius of Mount Shu will be the safest place.

"Then let's head towards Mount Shu."

Chen Changqing landed on the courtyard wall.

"The Mount Shu will Mountain-Splitting."

"But Mount Shu, isn't Mount Shu besieged?"

The old man asked in a trembling voice.

"It used to be."

Chen Changqing looked up towards the direction of Central Province.

"Now, I'm going back."

Once I arrive, those 100,000 Ruin Soldiers will become 100,000 mobile AFK Points. After I've slaughtered them all, I'll personally set up a Sword Formation around Mount Shu, and see who dares to come any closer!

The old man stared blankly at him, then prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed three times.

His forehead slammed against the bluestone slab, drawing blood.

"God... you must win!"

Chen Changqing did not turn around.

He simply raised his hand and waved it in the air.

Sword Light shot into the sky.

The wind carried away the old man's words.

But Chen Changqing heard it.

He replied in his mind.

Yes, it will.

He made many promises in his life.

Some things were not done.

But there's one thing he absolutely must do.

Because Mount Shu is his home.

There are people at home waiting for him to come back.

There's still the Spirit Tea he planted on Evergreen Peak that hasn't been harvested, the wine Master hid in the back mountain hasn't been finished, and that brat Ran Hua still owes me three hundred copies of the sword manual. If anyone dares to lay a finger on them, I'll break their bones!

He gripped his sword tightly.

The patterns on the sword hilt hurt my palms.

The old man stared at him, his eyes wide.

"You... you are a deity from Mount Shu?"

I guess so.

Chen Changqing didn't linger; with a flash of Sword Light, he took Xiaoqian back into the sky.

Behind him, the villagers in the ancestral hall knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the sky.

"Senior brother."

Xiaoqian walked beside him, her voice low.

Do you think Mount Shu knows we're going back?

"Have no idea."

The Communication Jade Talisman were all shattered, and the great formation was completely sealed off, so messages couldn't get through at all.

"What if they...?"

"Won't."

Chen Changqing looked ahead.

"My master is a man who's extremely proud. As long as he has a breath left, he'll keep going."

Hold on until I get there.

That stubborn old mule Jian Zhenzi didn't utter a sound even when he lost an arm in the attack by the demonic forces back then. This time, even if he fights to the last drop of blood, he will never let those monsters set foot on the Main Peak.

I need to go faster! I can't just rely on flying on my sword; I have to tear through space to get there. Although the Spatial Laws are in chaos due to the rift in the sky, and forcibly teleporting could easily lead to Spatial Turbulence, I can't worry about that now!

Xiaoqian didn't say anything more.

She knew that although Chen Changqing spoke lightly, the knuckles of his hand gripping the sword hilt were already white.

Along the way, he saw more and more cracks.

Some were only a few feet long, lying horizontally in mid-air.

Some stretch for hundreds of miles, spanning the sky.

From time to time, the Ruin Beasts would peek out from the crack, only to be turned to ashes by a sweep of his Sword Light.

[Ding! Slayed 45 Ruin Beasts, AFK Points +900,000.]

[Ding! 120 Ruin Soldiers slain, AFK Points +3,600,000.]

The system notifications kept ringing in his head, but the more he killed, the heavier his heart became.

These things can't be killed off completely.

The closer you get to the Central Province, the denser the fissures become, and the higher the level of the monsters that emerge. The previous group consisted of Ruin Soldiers wearing armor, indicating that there is Ruin Clan general commanding them nearby.

They're not here to take over territory.

They came to devour this world.

We must thoroughly make an example of them at Mount Shu and cripple their main force; otherwise, I'll be exhausted trying to put out fires all by myself.

Half a day later, in Central Province, within the Mount Shu region.

Chen Changqing saw the familiar Ten Thousand Sword Mountain in the distance, and his eyes narrowed sharply.

Mount Shu still stands.

The Mountain Protection Array is now only half intact.

A sea of blood-red clouds pressed down on the mountain peaks, and countless Ruin Soldiers crawled all over the mountain gate.

Before the mountain gate, corpses lay strewn everywhere.

There were Ruin Soldier, and there were disciples of Mount Shu.

Chen Changqing saw a familiar gray garment hanging on a broken stone pillar at the mountain gate.

The stone steps in front of the mountain gate were stained dark red with blood.

Level after level, all that could be seen were corpses.

There were Ruin Soldier, disciples of Mount Shu, and several stewards dressed in the Inner Sect robes. Some remained in a sword-drawing posture until their deaths, while others held younger disciples in their arms, their backs pierced by bone blades.

The air was filled with a fishy, rusty smell, mixed with the putrid stench unique to the Ruin Qi, making one's throat dry.

The plaque above the mountain gate fell to the ground and broke in two.

The two characters "Mount Shu" were half-covered in blood.

Those are the words personally inscribed by the founder of the sect. They have stood here for 30,000 years, and today they are being trampled underfoot!

Chen Changqing lowered his Sword Light, squatted down, picked up the plaque, and wiped it clean little by little with his sleeve.

The wood was cold, and the blood on it hadn't dried completely, sticking to the cuffs.

Xiaoqian stood behind him without saying a word.

She noticed that Chen Changqing's hands were trembling.

It's not fear.

It's anger.

Chen Changqing looked up at the gray garment hanging on the stone pillar.

Those are the standard Daoist robes worn by the Outer Sect disciples.

He remembered that Ran Hua wore this too.

Although Ran Hua is a coward, he always rushes to the front lines whenever the sect is in trouble. His Jade Talisman is broken; where is he? Is he still guarding the Main Peak, or is he already lying among these corpses?

We must charge up there immediately! First, wipe out these bastards at the mountain gate, then go to the Main Peak to find Master and the others! Leave no one alive, send them all to the Nine Netherworlds to be buried with them!

"Xiaoqian."

"Exist."

"Don't hold back in a bit."

"Good."

Chen Changqing took a deep breath, gripped the Immortal Execution Sword tightly, stepped onto the blood-stained stone steps, and raised the tip of his sword towards the Ruin Soldiers of Shu Mountain who were turning to look at him. "Chen Changqing of Mount Shu is here, who dares—"