Chapter 706: What Sin Did I Commit

After leaving the Imperial Heaven Sect, Huang Liang journeyed continuously northward.

The further he went, the more uneasy he became, a deep premonition of impending disaster settling over him.

Looking north, he saw what appeared to be blood-red light piercing the sky and heard the wails of wronged souls. Over several days, he performed divinations multiple times, each yielding omens of immense catastrophe.

What exactly was happening in the north?

Before his master passed away, he had clearly sensed something. However, his master was already at death's door and had no time to explain anything in detail before departing this world.

Otherwise, Huang Liang wouldn't have been so determined to make a trip to the north.

In that direction, only an entity like Heaven's Rift could have concerned his master.

Unlike ordinary cultivators in the Dragon Ascent Realm, individuals like Huang Liang, who hailed from a dominant sect, were privy to certain secrets.

Heaven's Rift had existed for eight hundred years, seemingly without impact on the Dragon Ascent Realm. Yet, its influence was subtle and pervasive. Under this gradual effect, the cultivation limits of cultivators in the Dragon Ascent Realm had continuously lowered: from Divine Sea to True Lake, and from True Lake to Cloud River.

Perhaps one day, the Dragon Ascent Realm would no longer have cultivators at all.

As early as the appearance of Heaven's Rift, a Divine Sea realm cultivator from the Imperial Heaven Sect had performed a divination, revealing an omen of a great calamity descending upon the world within a thousand years.

Unfortunately, that elder only managed to reveal the omen before passing away, unable to elaborate further.

Nevertheless, this omen had been passed down through the Imperial Heaven Sect's lineage for eight hundred years, known only to the sect master and a select few of the most senior elders in each generation.

Calculating the time, though not yet a full millennium since Heaven's Rift appeared, it was close enough. Could it be that the time had come for that omen to be fulfilled?

If so, it would be a true catastrophe for the Dragon Ascent Realm.

However, to this day, no one in the Dragon Ascent Realm's cultivation world had figured out what exactly Heaven's Rift, which had appeared so inexplicably, was.

If a disaster were truly to descend, how would the Dragon Ascent Realm defend itself? And what exactly was the disaster foretold by the omen?

That was why he needed to see it for himself, to gain a clearer understanding.

"Hmm?" Huang Liang suddenly turned his head to look in one direction. Inside a pavilion there, a man in a green robe sat, engrossed in a book, reading with great enjoyment.

With that glance, the world seemed to narrow to just the figure of the man in green, and Huang Liang's ears echoed with the clear sound of chanting.

The figure seemed to expand infinitely in his vision, emanating vast righteousness, towering like a celestial being.

"That's..."

Huang Liang immediately changed course and flew towards the pavilion. Upon arriving, he landed and bowed respectfully, saying, "Huang Liang of the Imperial Heaven Sect greets Senior Liu."

If any other cultivator from the Dragon Ascent Realm had witnessed this scene, they would have been startled.

Huang Liang, the Sect Master of the Imperial Heaven Sect, was considered among the top figures in this realm, regardless of his status, position, cultivation, or age.

There were so few people in the world whom he would address with such reverence as "Senior" that they could be counted on one hand.

And the green-robed man holding the book before him was undoubtedly one of them.

Liu Tianyi of the Vast Righteousness Academy.

His status and position in the Vast Righteousness Academy were equivalent to that of Huang Liang's master, Li Sa.

When Huang Liang was still very young, he had accompanied Li Sa to meet Liu Tianyi. Even after many years, he had not forgotten the encounter, which was why he recognized the man instantly.

As he bowed, Huang Liang pondered. This senior was said to have little lifespan left and had been cultivating peacefully in the Vast Righteousness Academy for many years. Yet, here he was now. Could it be...

"Your master and I have been friends for many years," Liu Tianyi said, putting down his book and laughing heartily, seemingly in high spirits. "When we were young, we even had a few spars. Later, we each led the Imperial Heaven Sect and Vast Righteousness Academy for many years, neither willing to yield to the other. But in the end, I won; he didn't live as long as I did. Hahaha!"

Huang Liang's expression darkened. He said in a deep voice, "Did Senior bring me here just to tell me this?"

There was no reason for him to coincidentally encounter Liu Tianyi here on his journey north, nor to have spotted him so easily. The other party had clearly done this on purpose.

His master was dead, and naturally, he didn't want to hear anyone disparage him, even if the speaker was Liu Tianyi.

Liu Tianyi glanced at him lightly and said, "There's no need to take offense. For people like your master and me, death isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, living is the most painful."

What do cultivators pursue their entire lives? Nothing more than higher realms, stronger cultivation, ascending peak after peak, and experiencing scenery after scenery. Both Li Sa and Liu Tianyi were geniuses unseen in the Dragon Ascent Realm for a century. The achievements of individuals like them should not have been limited to the Cloud River realm, yet due to the world's limitations, they could never find the path forward.

If they hadn't known there was a path ahead, it would have been fine.

But there was indeed a path ahead, not just a path, but a very wide and long one.

For ordinary Cloud River realm cultivators, perhaps there wasn't much feeling, but for Li Sa and Liu Tianyi, these years, though lived, were very painful.

Huang Liang lowered his gaze, reflecting on how his master had remained in seclusion for years. Even as his direct disciple, it hadn't been easy to see him. And when he did, he never sensed any joy from his master, only a deep weariness and quietness.

He knew very well that Liu Tianyi wasn't trying to comfort him.

His hostility dissipated. Huang Liang lowered his head and eyes, saying, "Senior's words are a lesson." He then asked, "Did Senior come out of seclusion this time to also head north?"

Liu Tianyi nodded. "I had a feeling, and I won't be at ease until I see it for myself."

"What did Senior perceive?"

This was also what puzzled Huang Liang the most. He knew that figures like his master and Liu Tianyi carried a portion of the Dragon Ascent Realm's destiny. So, even if their cultivation was limited to the Cloud River realm like other cultivators, their true strength was far greater than any Cloud River realm cultivator imagined, and they could perceive things ordinary people couldn't.

His master had clearly sensed something before passing away. What had Liu Tianyi sensed?

"It's hard to say... I can't quite put it into words!" Liu Tianyi shook his head.

Huang Liang fidgeted for a moment, thinking to himself, *How can a scholar like you be so cryptic with me?*

He couldn't press further.

"Then, Senior, are you waiting for me here?"

"Waiting for you was just a coincidence," Liu Tianyi replied. "I'm mainly waiting for an old geezer."

"An old geezer..." Huang Liang's eyelid twitched. Besides his own master, there was likely only one other person in this world Liu Tianyi would refer to as an "old geezer."

Could it be that person had also emerged from seclusion?

Just as he was thinking this, a voice like a morning bell and evening drum echoed in his ears: "Many years have passed, yet the Layman remains unchanged."

The voice was resonant but not deafening, causing Huang Liang's spirits to lift. When he looked up, he saw a slender figure strolling from the horizon. At first, the figure was distant, but in a blink, it was halfway there, and in another blink, the person stood before them.

Shrinking the Earth into an Inch!

Huang Liang was greatly alarmed. This was a secret technique rumored to be only cultivable by cultivators who reached the True Lake realm. He never expected to witness it firsthand.

The newcomer clearly couldn't be in the True Lake realm, yet had still mastered this secret technique.

These seniors, frightfully old and bearing great destiny, were indeed extraordinary, every single one of them.

"Greetings, Master!" Huang Liang quickly bowed.

The emaciated, bald monk before him, who looked like nothing but skin and bones, was much older than even his master, Li Sa. He was the oldest person in the entire Dragon Ascent Realm. How could Huang Liang dare to be disrespectful in the presence of such a figure?

He sighed inwardly. Usually, others called him "Senior" and bowed to him, but today, among the three present, he was the youngest and had the lowest seniority.

"I don't believe in Buddhism, so I'm no layman," Liu Tianyi said with a look of disdain. "Don't just shout nonsense, old monk."

Fahua smiled genially. "If the Buddha is in your heart, what does belief or disbelief matter?" He then turned to Huang Liang. "You're that young attendant who used to be by Benefactor Li's side, aren't you?"

Huang Liang quickly replied, "That's right."

Fahua nodded. "A hundred years have passed in a flash. Benefactor Li has also ascended to the Pure Land. This is truly cause for joy and congratulation."

What was there to be joyful about? Huang Liang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, feeling that his views were somewhat at odds with these two seniors.

Liu Tianyi scoffed. "Old monk, before you left, I divined your fortune. Looking at you now, your glabella is dark, and death energy clings to you. I'm afraid you won't live much longer! Did you settle your affairs with your disciples and grand-disciples before you came out?"

Fahua laughed even more cheerfully, his long eyebrows trembling. "If it comes to that, it would be this old monk's good fortune. As for what happens after death... one comes naked, and one leaves naked. If there are no regrets in life, why bother with what happens after? But Layman, since you know this journey is perilous, why did you come?"

Liu Tianyi chuckled. "If an old geezer like you can come, why can't I?"

Fahua sighed. "After all, this realm still needs someone to look after it."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be me," Liu Tianyi waved his hand. "Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. Why worry so much?"

Fahua fell silent.

As the two conversed, Huang Liang stood silently at their side, with lowered brows and downcast eyes, like a nestless quail in winter.

He couldn't interject, nor did he dare to.

*Why did I ever decide to go north? What terrible karma did I create?*

"Let's go, then? Why are you just standing there?" Liu Tianyi spoke.

"Let's go," Fahua nodded.

Then, both of them turned their gazes to Huang Liang, who was standing beside them, eyes fixed on his nose, nose on his heart.

Huang Liang jolted, immediately grasping the intention of the two old seniors. He quickly conjured his flying spiritual artifact, threw it forward, and said, "Seniors, please!"

Who told him he had the lowest seniority? If he didn't operate the artifact for travel, did he expect these two to do it?

He had never imagined that he, the esteemed Sect Master of the Imperial Heaven Sect, would one day be ordered around like this. Yet, he dared not voice any complaints.

The streak of light propelled them swiftly northwards.