Chapter 45 Part 1

That rift spanning the heavens gradually widened, and the outline of Shanyue City emerged along with it. Besides the jagged mountain ridges and the city coiling like a dragon, there were also illusory figures of Daoists—some familiar, some strangers—coming and going.

“Is that… the exit?” The Daoists on the boat trembled with excitement and stared intently at the rift.

“Compared to being trapped in the Shanyue True Form Chart with an unknown future, it’s better to make a dash for that rift,” Nong Qingying said, arms crossed as she gazed ahead.

“It’s not an illusion. It’s probably really the exit.” Ji Wuxin spoke gravely. She spotted the Ruin Spirits surging toward the exit, circulated her magical power, and lotus flowers bloomed on the ground. They exploded in an instant, unleashing a ferocious force that engulfed the Ruin Spirits. “Fellow Daoists of Taiyi Sect, what do you say?”

Xie Chaosheng controlled the Unfettered Boat, which could carry the cultivators out through the rift. As long as the outside wasn’t a Cave Heaven isolated from the world like the Shanyue True Form Chart, they could find ways to contact their sects. She exchanged a glance with Dan Li and said cautiously, “Let’s leave.”

“This competition hasn’t concluded yet.” Cang Lang pursed her lips. A portion of the people still remained on the boat. According to the Empire’s rules, if the Daoists emerged simultaneously, the Sun and Moon Divine Sand would determine the winner. Taiyi Sect and the various Immortal Dao sects had fallen behind because they had taken out their divine sand to help fellow Daoists recover. Meanwhile, those who had hidden a bit of Sun and Moon Divine Sand for various reasons were ahead of them.

“Rankings aren’t the most important thing.” Xie Chaosheng turned to Cang Lang and spoke solemnly. As the true disciple of the Taiyi Sect Master, she needed the title of “peerless prodigy” to prove herself, but she needed even more to be responsible for her fellow sect members’ lives. She couldn’t risk putting her sect mates in danger just for a ranking.

Reluctance flickered across Cang Lang’s face. She had come for the top spot. If the Empire truly judged them as losers because of this, she wouldn’t be able to swallow it.

“The rift is starting to shrink again.” Dan Li sighed and added that this meant their time to choose was running out.

“Fellow Daoist Shangshan, what do you think?” Feng Qing turned to Li Ruoshui.

Li Ruoshui didn’t speak. A strange expression appeared on her face. She steadied her mind, raised her finger, and looked at the Blue Butterfly that had somehow reformed—it fluttered its wings lightly and elegantly perched on her fingertip, as if it had never left.

“This rift means that someone has come to save us.” Li Ruoshui pondered for a moment and suddenly made a decision. She blinked and said, “Fellow Daoist Feng Qing, you all follow the Taiyi people back!”

“Us?” Feng Qing’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Li Ruoshui. “What about you?”

Li Ruoshui raised an eyebrow with a carefree smile. “I’m staying here.” She glanced at the Ruin Spirits below—the Shanyue True Form Chart still had plenty left, all experience packs.

“No.” Feng Qing frowned. “We came together. How can we leave you alone inside?” But she now bore the heavy responsibility of delivering “A Handful of Snow” and her sect mates’ identity badges back.

“There’s nothing that says we can’t.” Li Ruoshui patted Feng Qing’s shoulder and said, “Feng Qing, you need to bring your senior sisters home.”

“I can stay.” Yao Changliu offered softly.

Li Ruoshui’s gaze fell on her, and she shook her head. “No need.”

In the time it took to exchange a few words, the rift had shrunk considerably. The Daoists on the Unfettered Boat intercepted the Ruin Spirits surging toward it while muttering among themselves, waiting for the sect leaders to make the final decision.

Li Ruoshui raised her hand and pointed at the gracefully dancing Blue Butterfly. Her decision wouldn’t change for anything. She leaped toward the Ruin Spirits below, and the Taiyi Blazing Fire Profound Light swept forward with an explosive crack. She raised her voice righteously, “These Ruin Spirits are also seeking the exit. We can’t let them enter the human world. I’ll intercept the Ruin Spirits—everyone, hurry and go!”

Xie Chaosheng’s heart shook. She looked at Li Ruoshui, and a wave of guilt spread deep within her. “Senior Sister Li, you—”

Her “fellow sect members” included Li Ruoshui.

In the past, Li Ruoshui had saved her, but she hadn’t found her in the outer sect. When she asked Feng Qing, she got evasive answers. She could only leave the reward at the Taiyi outer sect, waiting for her to claim it. Later, when she left the sect to travel to the Joy Sect, she had actually forgotten about that life-saving grace.

“Junior Sister, go!” Dan Li shouted.

“Don’t worry about her. She has a way to escape.” Feng Qing hugged her sword, her expression somber. Seeing Li Ruoshui’s firm attitude, she stopped persuading. After spending time with Li Ruoshui, she had some understanding of her. If she was willing to stay in the Shanyue True Form Chart, she had probably sensed an opportunity and wouldn’t joke with her own life.

Xie Chaosheng knew she had to make a decision. She bowed remotely toward the figure standing before the Ruin Spirits and felt that she appeared exceptionally tall and majestic. If she could really find a way out, she would beg her master to come rescue Senior Sister Li! She took a deep breath, suppressed the complex emotions swirling in her heart, and shouted, “Go!”

The Unfettered Boat carrying the Daoists streaked away like a beam of light and vanished from Li Ruoshui’s sight along with the rift in just a few breaths.

Li Ruoshui clicked her tongue and said to the Blue Butterfly, “Old friend, it’s just us now.”

Outside the Shanyue True Form Chart.

After spotting the rift, Liang Daoqi had tried to seal its aura. She remained vigilant, fearing Ruin Spirits would slip through. As the rift closed, her suspended heart gradually settled, but at the last moment, a radiant flying boat appeared in her view. Liang Daoqi’s heart jolted, and a talisman from her sleeve drifted toward the Unfettered Boat, fixing it in midair.

“Is that Taiyi Sect’s Unfettered Boat?” Liang Daoqi recognized its origin. Her eyes darkened as she wondered inwardly: Were Taiyi cultivators emerging? Or Ruin Spirits? Or perhaps an empty vessel?

“Liang True Person?” The four sects’ Cave Heaven experts had gone to the Nation-Securing Chart, leaving Nascent Soul Realm Daoists here. They also spotted the Unfettered Boat and couldn’t help flying toward Liang Daoqi.

“Isn’t this our Taiyi Sect’s Unfettered Boat?”

“What’s going on? Why is there a rift? Did a Cave Heaven True Person intervene?”

Liang Daoqi didn’t speak. She watched as a group of people surged out from the boat but were trapped by the restriction and unable to leave. They all looked vigilant, weapons in hand, ready for battle.

“Are you people or Ruin Spirits?” Liang Daoqi restrained the Dongtian Daoist’s aura and asked coldly.

The cultivators on the boat didn’t answer Liang Daoqi.

They weren’t sure if what they saw reflected was an illusion or reality.

Feng Qing raised her voice. “The Tianyan Mirror can be used now.” Her words invigorated the cultivators. Since the network was fully restored, the first thing was naturally to report to their elders! After some operations in the flying boat, the Tianyan Mirrors of the various sect True Persons following Liang Daoqi stirred.

They were the surviving cultivators from the various sects.

Liang Daoqi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

–

In the Nation-Securing Chart.

After using the “Unity” divine ability, Lian Rusu had entered a stalemate with the Ruin Spirits, neither able to overpower the other. Fortunately, the supporting fellow Daoists didn’t take long to arrive. They quickly reached the core of the Nation-Securing Chart and battled the Cave Heaven level Ruin Spirits. Inside the Nation-Securing Chart, the Cave Heaven True Persons no longer worried about their magical power causing collateral damage and unleashed their divine abilities without restraint. In the earth-shattering clash, Lian Rusu, Qin Lianxin, and the others finally slew the few Cave Heaven Realm Ruin Spirits hiding and wreaking havoc in the Nation-Securing Chart.

“The Nation-Securing Chart is temporarily secure, but Ruin Spirits remain in the Shanyue True Form Chart,” Qin Lianxin said solemnly, staring at the formation. “This passage can already allow Nascent Soul Realm Ruin Spirits to pass through.”

“The Guiding Talisman Edict might not work anymore. The Prodigy List competition doesn’t need to continue,” Yue Rushuang sighed. The Merfolk Kingdom hadn’t sent merfolk to follow Ji Wuxin into battle this time, but her disobedient daughter had sneaked out of the Origin Sea and mixed into the Shanyue True Form Chart. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “How will those young ones get out?”

“That’s simple. While the formation hasn’t been destroyed yet, send a surge of magical power through. Even if it can’t form a stable passage, it can create a rift,” Fu Luo said with a smiling drawl. She had no intention of discussing it with the others. The moment the words left her mouth, she acted. She pressed her palm to the formation, and her unparalleled magical power pierced through, destroying layers of talismans in an instant and ruining most of the array.

“Opening the Shanyue True Form Chart might let Ruin Spirits flood into the Empire—you—” Qin Lianxin clutched her chest and glared at the reckless Fu Luo, tempted to slash her with a sword. Wasn’t this a Ruin Spirit plant embedded in the Nine Provinces?

“Liang Daoqi shouldn’t have trouble handling this much,” Fu Luo said with a curled lip. “Your worries might be unnecessary.” As long as there were no endless streams of Ruin Spirits and no Cave Heaven level opponents interfering, even if Ruin Spirits escaped through the rift, Liang Daoqi would suppress and kill them the moment they emerged.

Lian Rusu ignored their argument and stared unblinkingly at the damaged barrier formation. She vaguely sensed several familiar auras, one of which came from “Carefree Wander.” After pondering for a moment, she circulated her magical power, pressed her palm to the formation, and forcibly sustained the grand array for a few breaths. A strand of Cave Heaven magical power transformed into a Blue Butterfly that flew straight toward the other side. After she withdrew her power, a faint crack sounded, and the purple talismans extinguished one by one, turning to dust scattered by the wind.

“Fellow Daoist Lian?” Qin Lianxin frowned at Lian Rusu.

Lian Rusu offered no explanation. She looked up at the Return to Ruins Gap. The Empire’s Nation-Securing Chart was a stable Return to Ruins Gap. Cave Heaven level power meant that Cave Heaven Ruin Spirits born on that side might cross over again. The Empire’s seals prevented external forces from the Nation-Securing Chart from spilling outward but couldn’t stop the passage of Cave Heaven Ruin Spirits or even detect it.

After voicing her concerns, Lian Rusu asked, “How should we handle the Nation-Securing Chart?”

Qin Lianxin snorted coldly. “It’s not necessarily that the forbidden array can’t detect it, but the Daoist guarding it has been corrupted. The best method is to have Cave Heaven fellow Daoists station themselves within the forbidden array and slay any Cave Heaven Ruin Spirits the moment they gain a foothold before they stabilize.” Cave Heaven cultivators left intent traces in the Tianyan network, allowing avatar manifestations. If the other was corrupted, the avatar would collapse, and they would know immediately.

“Who will guard here long-term? Rong Yin or Liang Daoqi?” Fu Luo asked eagerly, looking eager for drama. After the Empire lacked an emperor to sit the throne, the drawbacks emerged one after another. How had the Empire’s resources, shrouded by the imperial family and Sheng Clan, failed to produce a Cave Heaven? Oh, wait—they had produced one, but he had been completely corrupted by Ruin Spirits.