Chapter 708: Returning Fortune to Heaven and Earth

Over the years, many cultivators have held grievances against the Heavenly Rift Sect. Unfortunately, they were isolated and lacked the power to confront such a formidable entity. Should the three hegemonic sects decide to act, these cultivators wouldn't hesitate to join in, adding insult to injury and cheering them on. Then, the Heavenly Rift Sect would undoubtedly become a public enemy.

"Heavenly Sage, what exactly are you doing?" Fa Hua's hair and beard stood on end, his long eyebrows trembling, betraying his agitation. "What kind of formation is this?!" With his extensive knowledge and experience, he couldn't identify the origin of the formation at first sight, merely surmising it was a blood sacrifice-like array. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that such a colossal and sinister formation, once activated, would unleash astonishing might. Even more perplexing was why the Heavenly Sage would proceed in this way. Although he had little direct interaction with the Heavenly Sage, both were among the strongest under heaven, and they had long admired each other's reputations. Could a sane person possibly commit such perverse acts?

The Heavenly Sage remained with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression as calm as an ancient well, even when facing the two eldest and most powerful individuals under heaven. He didn't answer Fa Hua's question. Instead, he opened his mouth and asked, "Master, you've been trapped in the Cloud River Realm for many years. Have you ever glimpsed the path ahead?"

Fa Hua frowned: "You've seen the path forward?"

The Heavenly Sage gave a proud smile: "Precisely!"

Upon hearing this, Fa Hua and the other two were visibly startled.

Liu Tianyi stepped forward: "Where does this path lie?"

"As far as the sky, yet right before your eyes!"

"Surely you're not implying it's right here within this Heavenly Rift?" Liu Tianyi squinted slightly. He was naturally well aware of the Heavenly Rift Sect's tenets, but he absolutely refused to believe that the sect had genuinely comprehended anything by means of this Heavenly Rift. If that were true, the Heavenly Sage would undoubtedly be in the True Lake Realm by now.

The Heavenly Sage averted his gaze, fixing it on the celestial chasm, and slowly began: "After years of contemplation here, I have indeed gained some insights. If this heaven obstructs the path of us cultivators, then let us shatter this heaven and overturn this earth. Without the chains of bondage, the path forward will naturally become clear."

"Pure absurdity!" Liu Tianyi rebuked.

The Heavenly Sage smiled, pointing ahead: "Then tell me, what exactly is this formation called?" Liu Tianyi genuinely couldn't answer. He and Fa Hua possessed astonishing knowledge and experience. Their sect even preserved various legends of the Divine Sea and True Lake Realms. Although they couldn't employ those specific techniques themselves, constrained by their own power, in terms of knowledge and experience alone, they were no less than Divine Sea Realm cultivators of a thousand years ago. Yet even with their keen insight, they couldn't discern the true nature of this formation.

"To be frank, gentlemen, this grand formation is something I comprehended from within the Heavenly Rift itself. Otherwise, with my own abilities, I would be unable to construct such an immense array. The day this grand formation is perfected will be when the path ahead becomes clear. Since you have arrived, it is a destined encounter; why not join me in comprehending the Great Dao?"

Fa Hua's long eyebrows drooped as he solemnly chanted a Buddhist incantation: "To seek the path forward is indeed the lifelong aspiration of us cultivators. However... if it means achieving it through such methods, then it is better to abandon the pursuit. Heavenly Sage, you have succumbed to depravity!"

The Heavenly Sage sighed leisurely: "As expected, persuasion is futile."

"Those with different paths cannot walk together! Why waste so many words? Let's kill him first." Liu Tianyi roared, simultaneously summoning an ancient tome. Spiritual energy surged around him, and as its pages flipped, streaks of golden light shot towards the Heavenly Sage, each imbued with terrifying destructive power.

The clang of a sword sounded as Cheng Henfeng's long sword, previously sheathed on his back, flew into his hand. He soared skyward, intercepting the numerous golden streaks, and murmured, "Master, your disciple means no offense!"

"You wretch! I should have purged you from the sect ages ago!"

"Amitabha!" As Fa Hua's resonant Buddhist chant boomed, a begging bowl flew from his hand, expanding as it met the wind, and soared directly towards the Heavenly Sage.

A cackling laugh rang out as Xing Mo leaped forward to intercept: "Old bald rogue, how can a monastic like you possess such murderous intent?"

Fa Hua calmly replied: "Buddha embodies boundless compassion, but also the furious gaze of a Vajra!"

"An excellent opportunity!" Huang Liang had been observing coolly. Seeing that both Xing Mo and Cheng Henfeng were engaged, he immediately darted towards the Heavenly Sage, aiming to strike. As the current Sect Master of the Imperial Heaven Sect, his strength was naturally immense. If he could find an opening, he might be able to slay the Heavenly Sage, and then the Heavenly Rift Sect would collapse without a fight. From his hand, he flung out a whisk, unleashing thousands of threads that shot forth like countless streaks of light, covering the sky and earth, instantly sealing off a vast expanse of space.

The Heavenly Sage remained utterly still, not even sparing him a glance. Huang Liang instantly felt a premonition of danger.

With a gushing sound, with a series of movements, figures suddenly surged forth from the chasm's blood river, swiftly encircling the area on all sides, leaving no escape. Several of them teamed up to attack Huang Liang, while others darted towards Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi.

"It's a trap!" Huang Liang suddenly exclaimed in realization. The figures that appeared were all at the Ninth Level of the Cloud River Realm, clearly elders of the Heavenly Rift Sect. They had been hidden within the blood river, concealing their aura and life force. Even powerful figures like Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi had failed to detect them until they suddenly launched their assault.

"I knew you old fossils would come. How could I not be prepared? Since you've arrived, you might as well all stay." The Heavenly Sage let out a cold snort.

This perilous place is not somewhere to linger... This thought immediately surged into Huang Liang's mind. As he fiercely engaged the attacking Heavenly Rift Sect elders, he glanced towards Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi. To his astonishment, however, neither of the two showed the slightest intention of retreating.

Fa Hua, in particular, whose body was originally withered and skeletal, now had muscles bulging everywhere, his vital energy boiling and surging. Every strike and movement he made conveyed an immense sense of explosive power. The old monk was already advanced in age, with not long left to live. Now, channeling his power to fight in such a way, he clearly had no intention of departing this place alive. Although the changes in Liu Tianyi were less obvious, he too was fighting desperately, holding nothing back. He unleashed profound and mysterious spells, remarkably holding his own against multiple opponents for the time being. Yet, this was ultimately not a sustainable strategy; once exhausted, he would inevitably perish.

Why was this the case? Huang Liang found himself puzzled. Even if the three of them had fallen into the Heavenly Rift Sect's trap, with their combined strength, escaping wouldn't have been a difficult feat. But neither Fa Hua nor Liu Tianyi had any such intention.

He suddenly recalled his master's very old teaching: "When a nation faces dire straits, heroes will undoubtedly emerge; when heaven is on the verge of collapse, anomalies are bound to appear." When heaven and earth face peril, individuals bearing the destiny of the world are destined to be born. His master, Li Sa, was one such individual, and Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi were also among them. However, none of the three had managed to resolve the crisis of heaven and earth. They ultimately remained stuck, unable to advance beyond the Cloud River Realm, their lifespans gradually dwindling. The destiny of heaven and earth, though invisible and intangible, is not inexhaustible; rather, it has a finite total. The previous generation's destiny of heaven and earth was borne by Li Sa and the other two. As long as they remained alive, they would still carry a portion of the world's destiny. Li Sa had already departed this world, leaving only Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi.

So they... were returning their destiny to heaven and earth! To enable heaven and earth to confront the impending catastrophe? Huang Liang suddenly had a revelation, finally grasping Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi's true intentions. Both their lifespans were nearing exhaustion. Bolstered by the destiny of heaven and earth, they must have also foreseen certain things, realizing they were powerless to change anything with their own strength and could only place their hopes in the successors. Therefore, they had to die. Only by returning their destiny to heaven and earth could successors emerge to bravely face the challenges.

A sense of solemn respect filled him! Although Huang Liang had not yet reached the end of his lifespan, he did not lack the courage to face life and death directly. Especially with two esteemed seniors accompanying him, he would have no regrets in death, nor would he be ashamed to face his master in the afterlife.

Having comprehended Fa Hua and Liu Tianyi's intentions, Huang Liang's mind cleared. With a long roar, he poured out all his might, clashing fiercely with the many elders of the Heavenly Rift Sect. Amidst the Buddhist chants and hymns, interspersed with sounds of recitation, the strongest and eldest cultivators in the world fought to the death, causing the weather across hundreds of miles to change dramatically, with rolling thunder, as if heaven mourned and earth wept. Under normal circumstances, cultivators of the Cloud River Realm could never trigger such phenomena. However, two elders bearing the destiny of heaven and earth naturally could not be compared to ordinary Cloud River Realm cultivators.

While the battle raged fiercely, the three hegemonic sects had jointly issued a manifesto, calling upon all cultivators under heaven to collectively assail the Heavenly Rift Sect. That manifesto, disseminated through various channels, rapidly reached every corner of the cultivation world. In a very short time, countless cultivators had seen the proclamation.

The Heavenly Rift Sect was already unpopular among the populace, but previously, they had been entrenched in Xue Prefecture, never leaving, and were so powerful that no one dared to provoke them. Now, however, the Heavenly Rift Sect had committed an act that enraged both gods and men: using the blood of an entire prefecture's inhabitants to establish a mysterious grand formation, thereby violating a major taboo of the cultivation world. With the three hegemonic sects having joined forces, cultivators across the land rallied, setting out from various directions and advancing towards Xue Prefecture.

"Is it thundering and raining?" In Medicine Valley, in front of the thatched hut, Yiyi gazed at the sky covered in dark clouds, her small face filled with bewilderment. Just moments ago, the sky had been clear and boundless, but now, for some unknown reason, it was suddenly covered in dense dark clouds. Within the clouds, deep rumbles of thunder sounded, like dragons roaring, stirring the heartstrings.

Beside her, Ye Liuli also looked up at the sky. Thanks to the Little Medicine Immortal's intervention, Ye Liuli had already awakened. In the past few days, there had been no unusual circumstances, and she appeared to be completely normal. The reason they hadn't left yet was primarily because Lu Ye hadn't completed payment for the medicinal supplies. To establish a sufficiently proper formation throughout the vast Medicine Valley, even with Lu Ye's current mastery of formation arts, would require several days. However, he was already in the final stages.

Not far from them, Zhuang Bufan sat weakly in a chair, his aura exceedingly feeble. Although Lu Ye had produced Soul Cleansing Water, it could only alleviate his pain; it was utterly incapable of healing his injuries. In the past few days, his condition had steadily deteriorated. Anyone could see that he wouldn't live much longer. Lu Ye and the others were not in a hurry to depart. Another reason was their desire to see Zhuang Bufan off on his final journey. Though they had only known him for a short time, Lu Ye still greatly admired him.