Chapter 1323: Go Wandering

"Alright, everyone."

The crowd was still reeling from the fact that Dao Dian Zhu had self-destructed, and from Ba Zun An's earlier proclamation.

The figure on the ruins paused briefly, showing no surprise or unnecessary thought. He simply clutched the Sound Transmission Stone and spoke again:

"Thank you all for gracing this occasion with your presence and your lives, to witness my Void Great Ceremony."

"Now that the ritual is complete, the rest is not for you to see, so there's no need for you to linger any longer."

"Farewell."

What did "farewell" mean?

In the various holy wars, those who had survived this far were few and far between.

Each one possessed extraordinary combat abilities or special means of survival.

Glancing around, in the shattered Giant Kingdom, there were moving chunks of mutilated flesh, floating soul bodies, and shadowy Taixu Wills—all present in abundance.

But those with a complete human form were almost nowhere to be seen.

Hearing these words, the survivors, having just escaped death, trembled in fear.

From the sound of it, was he planning to eliminate them all?

They had held on until now, only to fail against Ba Zun An's post-battle purge—he didn't intend to let anyone live?

Yet, the crowd had overestimated their place in his mind.

Ants crawl, the Dao brings death, the Dao brings life.

Ba Zun An didn't regard these people at all. After speaking, he turned his gaze to Shui Gui.

"It's over."

Shui Gui flipped his palm, and the Ci Mian Gate lit up.

A hum resonated.

Beneath the ruins of Sin One Hall, in the pitch-black palace, the Dao patterns affiliated with the forbidden seal gradually faded away.

With a boom, in an instant, a massive explosion erupted under everyone's feet, and a figure shot out.

It was an exceptionally young man, enveloped in mist, his face and bare body obscured and hazy within a water sphere.

Yet, as everyone looked up, they felt as if they were seeing another Shui Gui.

"Water Element Mystic Array..."

Indeed, as soon as the young man emerged, a brilliant Mystic Array unfolded beneath his feet.

The humidity in the air increased, becoming incredibly damp.

Drip, drip, drop...

Soon, rain began to fall from the sky.

But the raindrops were not inky black; they were the color of normal water.

Only then did everyone seem to realize who this young man was.

"Ling Department Leader, Yu Ling Di!"

Yu Ling Di had never imagined that he could truly break the restraints of that dark palace using his own physical strength.

Once freed, he soared into the sky in rage, intent on finding the man who had struck him down.

He couldn't accept his previous thoughts and beliefs.

He desperately needed confirmation from the person involved.

But before getting that confirmation, he had more important things to do.

"I've been replaced."

"That person must have infiltrated the Sheng Shen Hall side, and he might even target Rao Yao Yao and the others..."

At that thought, Yu Ling Di froze in mid-air, like a statue.

What was he seeing?

Everywhere he looked, it was a scene of devastation.

The towering ancient architecture of the Giant Kingdom he remembered was gone, leaving only a wasteland of shattered stones and ruins.

If he hadn't known he was still in the Sin One Hall area, Yu Ling Di might have thought he had accidentally entered some other-dimensional space, witnessing an ancient battlefield.

Here lay bones and blood, with decaying holy intent.

Even traces of power beyond Half-Saint level crisscrossed the area, vividly apparent.

"Is this... Sin One Hall?"

The beautiful scenery of the Giant Kingdom he had seen upon first arriving—its ancient history, serene landscapes, and elegant vistas—flashed through his mind alongside the current ruins, contrasting sharply.

Yu Ling Di felt as if he had slept for a century. When he awoke, the world had changed beyond recognition, and everything was different.

His Mystic Array seeped into the Water Dao, using the moisture scattered across Void Island to glimpse the desolate scenes in other areas.

The shattered Abyss of Sin, the overturned Youming Ghost City above it, the cracked Sheng Xing Field, the vanished mountains and stone giants of Sleep Valley, the Blood Realm split by a single sword, the dried-up Qing Marsh, the ancient forest ruins of Miracle Forest, the fireless wasteland of Absolute Fire Domain, and now the Sin One Hall reduced to rubble beneath his feet...

The nine great forbidden zones—all gone!

Had a holy war, even an emperor war, taken place here?

Was this still Void Island, the place he knew?

Yu Ling Di hovered in the air, stunned and unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Not far away, Shui Gui stepped forward upon seeing this, placed a hand on his forehead, casually swept his wet hair back, and chuckled lightly:

"Long time no see, my child."

That voice... Yu Ling Di whipped around and saw the shadowy figure he had encountered while bound to the totem pole in Sheng Xing Field, in that strange dream.

It was he who had caused Yu Ling Di to be sealed the moment he entered Sin One Hall, halting all his actions.

He had taken his place, using the identity of Ling Department Leader to accomplish certain conveniences.

But this time!

The figure was no longer hazy and was unmasked, without even a golden beast face to conceal it.

He stood there so vividly on the other side of the sky, just like in childhood, watching Yu Ling Di train on the martial field.

"Fa..." Yu Ling Di's lips parted, his face twisted in fury, his eyes bulging with rage as he let out a thunderous roar:

"Yu Mo!"

The sound wave rolled out visibly, nearly knocking Ba Zun An off his feet.

Even Xu Xiao Shou could hear the intense and complex emotions in those two words—anger, resentment, entanglement, hatred, longing, suppression, joy, agony...

"Wow!" Xu Xiao Shou shook his head, his eyes igniting with flames of gossip.

He glanced at Yu Ling Di, crumbling in the wind, then at the nonchalant Yu Mo, back to the son with tears of blood, and then to the father with a serene expression.

Xu Xiao Shou grabbed Lei Xi Er's hand and clapped it, exclaiming in admiration:

"Brilliant!"

"Absolutely brilliant!"

"I'd call this a masterpiece of the world."

Genius successor, father-son mystic arts, Void passage, ruthless deception, lost in illusion, sole survivor...

As an outsider, Xu Xiao Shou could clearly see the painstaking effort behind Shui Gui's scheme.

Look at Void Island now—the Sheng Shen Hall was completely shattered.

Number Two dead, Yan Wuse dead, Rao Yao Yao dead, Dao Qiong Cang self-destructed, Wang Ze Sheng Emperor's intent captured.

And so many nameless red- and white-robed figures, the six department leaders—most of them gone.

Yet Yu Ling Di alone remained unharmed!

From the results, anyone could see this was Shui Gui's heavy paternal love!

But this love, upon closer thought, was overwhelmingly burdensome.

From a son's perspective, Yu Ling Di had done nothing wrong; he was on the Sheng Shen Hall's side, only to be ruthlessly used by his father until the war's end, emerging to find everyone dead.

How could he turn back?

How could he face it?

Anyone would find it impossible to accept, not even daring to think about it, trying to dismiss it as a nightmare and forget it—but how could he?

Yu Ling Di clearly wanted to say something, but his lips trembled for a long time, and no words came out.

The wind in the post-battle ruins was bitterly cold, seeping in through eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, chilling him to the core and to his soles.

Shui Gui held the Ci Mian Gate in his left hand and summoned the Yu Hai Divine Halberd with his right, stepping forward slowly.

"Don't forgive me, my child."

"As you've seen, I used you, and everyone from Sheng Shen Hall is dead."

"Rao Yao Yao, Yan Wuse, Number Two, Ye Xiao, Teng Shan Hai..."

Shui Gui listed them off like old acquaintances, the Yu Hai Divine Halberd trembling wildly in his hand, as if resisting something.

"Oh, right, and this one."

He seemed to remember something and activated the Ci Mian Gate with his left hand.

That entity hidden in the void, which Dao Qiong Cang's self-destruction hadn't taken—Situ Yongren—struggled out in terror.

"No!"

The piercing wail cut off abruptly.

With a smack, Situ Yongren burst into a spray of blood, left with no burial ground.

A Mystic Half-Saint crushing Situ Yongren at that moment was as easy as crushing an ant.

Shui Gui's gaze didn't even flicker; he held the now-still Yu Hai Divine Halberd and approached Yu Ling Di.

His eyes were ice-cold, as if the next second, he might turn on his own child.

"For... for..."

"Why!"

Yu Ling Di's body shook as he finally managed to speak, unable to accept what was before him.

He couldn't accept that the father who had instilled in him loyalty to the Holy Mountain, to Sheng Shen Hall, to the Dao and his ideals, had returned only to betray it all.

And right in front of him, casually crushing Situ Yongren.

If he could be so heartless, wasn't that proof of what he said: the entire Sheng Shen Hall had fallen?

Actually, no proof was needed.

This devastated battlefield, the intersecting traces of Half-Saint clashes, and the remaining Holy Slaves standing here—all declared the outcome of Sheng Shen Hall in the Void Island conflict.

So... what about him?

As the Ling Department Leader, should he meet the same fate, dying at the hands of this heartless father?

Yu Ling Di wanted to resist.

But before he could move, he felt completely out of control.

Not even a drop of blood or a breath in his body belonged to him anymore.

Shui Gui hadn't used the Ci Mian Gate to seal his abilities.

Yet, a Water Element Mystic Half-Saint's control over a Water Element Refiner required only a thought, and Yu Ling Di couldn't budge.

He was like a fangless young tiger, his roars sounding weak and childish, unable to show any ferocity before the true king of the forest.

"Kill me... kill me..."

Yu Ling Di's voice trembled as he saw Shui Gui raise the Yu Hai Divine Halberd high.

Once, this was the divine artifact he had dreamed of, the unique treasure of the water element.

Before his thoughts could finish...

Swoosh!

Shui Gui drove the halberd straight into Yu Ling Di's chest, blood splattering across the sky.

This sight made everyone below shudder, even leaving Xu Xiao Shou stunned.

He was really going through with it?

While Xu Xiao Shou could see some of the intentions behind Shui Gui's actions, he was now truly puzzled by this vengeful man.

Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs!

"Uh..."

Yu Ling Di hadn't expected death to come so suddenly—Yu Mo actually...

No!

Quickly, Yu Ling Di sensed something wrong.

He was enduring the pain of the halberd piercing his chest, but the rate at which it drew his blood was unusually fast.

And the blood wasn't vanishing; it was merging.

In less than three breaths, Yu Ling Di lost the pain and felt a new spirit in his connected spiritual senses—one that was somewhat discontented and dismissive of him.

Where did this spirit come from?

Shui Gui finally released his grip on the Yu Hai Divine Halberd, letting it remain embedded in his son's chest.

He leaned in close, whispering with a smile in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"The path is at your feet; no need to look back. Go wander!"

Before Yu Ling Di could react, the Water Element Mystic Array under his feet unfolded on its own.

At the same time, an even more brilliant and larger array lit up under Shui Gui's feet, echoing it.

Void Island erupted with a massive boom.

The Four Symbols Gates positioned around it burst open, and high in the nine heavens, a Void Gate spread wide.

Five gates aligned!

Coupled with the pull of the Ci Mian Gate!

Yu Ling Di felt as if he were back on the Sheng Xing Field, suspended, with his spiritual energy being drained, nearly losing consciousness.

Holy light showered from the sky, enveloping one survivor after another.

In half a breath, a gust of wind blew, and everyone vanished, including Yu Ling Di.

All was silent and desolate.

The vast Void Island, now free of those trivial voices, felt like an uninhabited isle.

The only ones left were a few Holy Slaves.

"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Ba Zun An stepped forward, gazing into the sky, his voice not loud, but audible to a Half-Saint.

"Not at all." Shui Gui shook his head, his body flickering as he descended and walked side by side. "He's had it too easy, never faced setbacks. I don't want him to follow in my footsteps."

"He can't return to Sheng Shen Hall now, and if he doesn't, he'll be seen as a true defector... He's homeless."

"Going back would just mean more people like Gou Wu Yue and Yan Wuse?"

"You should take him in."

"He's not a dog."

Ba Zun An's lips curved slightly at that.

Shui Gui glanced at him with a smile and added, "He won't accept charity."

From a distance, Xu Xiao Shou flew over with his junior sister, looking suspicious: "I have a feeling you're implying something about me."

In an instant, Shui Gui and Ba Zun An's gazes locked onto the tightly clasped hands of the senior brother and junior sister pair.

Neither looked away!

They just stared, eyes fixed in a deadlock!

"Under suspicion, Passive Points, 2."

Lei Xi Er's face flushed red, and she quickly let go.

"You're just giving away the Yu Hai Divine Halberd like that?" Xu Xiao Shou, oblivious, scratched at the lingering warmth on his hand, which soon faded, leaving him unsatisfied.

Shui Gui lifted his gaze, sweeping it over the silver-haired woman, and nodded slightly:

"I taught him halberd techniques from a young age; it was meant to be passed to him when he came of age."

"Unfortunately, I missed his coming-of-age ceremony."

"This is belated companionship."

Xu Xiao Shou chuckled: "I doubt your son will appreciate it."

"He's endured a lot of hardship over the years, all on his own." Shui Gui stared intently at him.

"Who hasn't?" Xu Xiao Shou acted as if he hadn't noticed. "Did you even ask the Yu Hai Divine Halberd's opinion?"

"It was willing."

"Bull! It was clearly refusing!"

"What about you?" Shui Gui's gaze didn't shift, even gaining a hint of danger.

Xu Xiao Shou met his eyes, smiled after a long moment, and said innocently: "As long as he doesn't mess with me, but I won't let him off easy either."

Shui Gui was about to respond when he accidentally caught sight of Ba Zun An nearby, resting his chin with a look of enjoying the show.

He said nothing.

But he said everything.

Shui Gui sighed deeply: "Give me some face. I'm a Mystic Half-Saint, after all, and you both owe me quite a few favors."

"Who isn't a Half-Saint?" Xu Xiao Shou tossed the Half-Saint status in his hand.

Shui Gui recalled how he had used the Ci Mian Gate to interrupt Xu Xiao Shou's holy tribulation.

Xu Xiao Shou was just one step from Sword Dao sanctification—if he wanted it?

What a freak!

"Name your conditions, but don't forget what you owe me." Shui Gui looked at Xu and Ba, having figured out their hidden motives.

"You're leaving?" Xu Xiao Shou asked in return.

"Yes." Shui Gui nodded, handing the Ci Mian Gate to Ba Zun An. "Our collaboration ends here. From now on, the world is vast, and as a Mystic Half-Saint, I'm half-free."

Pausing, Shui Gui stared at Ba Zun An: "Don't forget your answer."

Xu Xiao Shou laughed at that.

Leaving the Holy Slaves?

That was perfect!

You're a talent, Shui Gui!

With your skills turning the Void Island situation so effortlessly, what will you do once sanctified?

How can someone like you be free?

Half-free— is that as joyful as true freedom?

Xu Xiao Shou grabbed Shui Gui's hand, tears welling in his eyes: "Shui Gui, senior, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."