Chapter 244: Beautiful Dreams and Illusory Light

The trigger was pulled, the bullet flew out.

Like a thunderbolt, a scarlet trail suddenly appeared above the firmament; as the roar spread, infinite scarlet seeped out from the straight residual light, expanding to both sides.

Just like a wound cut from the void by a blade.

Endless lingering hatred burnt from this moment.

Blood rained down.

The moment the bullet flew out, the massive pistol completed its mission, and accompanied by the disappearance of the giant hand, it turned into fly ash. And that scorching red gushing from hell moved forward, extending straight.

Instantly, it tore through the infinite rainbow light, and the sound of breaking was endless.

The bullet, like glaze, swirled in the air; time seemed to be slowed down countless times, moving forward inch by inch, and wherever it passed, it chiseled out spreading cracks from the invisible barrier.

The sin-tainted incarnation that propped up the firmament glanced over indifferently, and finally, raised a hand.

Blocking in front of the bullet.

Easily, resisting the infinite lingering hatred outside.

But at that moment, within Quancheng, the originally dim and brilliant flowing light suddenly rose, erupted, disturbed, and exploded!

—That was the Wedge of the Present World transformed from Tao Gong's remains!

It was as if that broad-minded and high-reaching old man had made a move again.

This residual strength, which was too weak compared to the great sin, changed slightly, lightly and easily, but as if entering the gaps with no thickness, it cut off a crucial vein at the critical moment, causing the great sin's spiritual quality supply to fluctuate suddenly for an instant.

Lu Changsheng's three eyes opened wide.

Astonishment.

After the roar, the blockade disintegrated, and the cracks spread.

On that massive palm blocking in front of the bullet, a penetrating blood hole appeared, the broken bones and flesh were so distinct, and the blood color sprinkled down like rain.

Behind the wound, on the astonished face, a deep bullet mark had already appeared, infinite lingering hatred, resentment, and bitterness expanded from the cracks, like flames rising and burning,

It was as if, outside the three eyes, there was one more eye!

Boom!!!

Amidst the loud noise of the earth shaking, behind him, the workshop that had originally towered into the clouds like a pillar suddenly shook for an instant, and then, accompanied by the continuous sound of breaking that shrouded Quancheng, countless veins that had been maintained until now were broken with a bang.

The darkness dissipated, revealing the tragic appearance of the very top of the workshop.

Countless spiritual quality circuits appeared from the void, dissipated, and stars of supreme goodness essence and deep divine essence rose like blood from the workshop, sprayed out, and melted away.

Jianyuan took a step back.

Before him, Ye Xian was still indifferent, her blood-stained face full of cracks, her right hand already severed at the root, and at her feet, broken blade fragments were almost piled up like a mountain.

All were Jianyuan's masterpieces.

Finally, Jianyuan lowered his head and looked at his chest.

That penetrating hole, and even, the soul that was on the verge of its limit and unable to bear the burden.

A silent sigh.

There is no morality in the Ember dictionary.

On the contrary, it emphasizes kicking the blind, scolding the mute, and fiercely kicking the good leg of the lame.

It's easy to kick a widow's door, and easy to dig a grave for a family without descendants.

Just when Ji Jue was relying on the Heavenly Track, frantically performing Deus ex Machina and sprinkling it all over Quancheng, fiercely backstabbing the weightlifting champion Lu Changsheng, Ye Xian also unceremoniously seized the opportunity.

With the Association's invasion and tug-of-war on the outside, and Ye Xian's intrusion and attack on the inside. In order to maintain the stability of Quancheng and the existence of the artificial Heavenly Track, he still needed to divert a lot of energy to maintain and support...

Under the internal and external attacks, Jianyuan fell into unprecedented weakness.

Finally, one careless move...

The moment the gunshot rang out, without warning, the Moye sword tightly gripped in Ye Xian's right hand suddenly collapsed and exploded.

Burning both jade and stone!

Even Jianyuan didn't expect that Ye Xian would smash and explode such a matrix sacred object that had already entered the realm of the Heavenly Human, just like that.

Treating such a Heavenly Work that could be passed down for generations as a one-time consumable, using it directly on Jianyuan's workshop.

Having destroyed who knows how many other people's works with dissociation techniques, Ye Xian naturally had many insights, even treating the dissociation of her own works as another way of destruction.

Even Jianyuan hadn't expected...

In the silence, the Deep Sect Master sighed regretfully and shook his head.

"A pity."

"It's nothing more than a tool; if it's destroyed, just make another one."

Ye Xian was indifferent, throwing down the sword hilt with an expressionless face, "Cut when you should cut, abandon when you should abandon; this is the experience I learned when I broke out of the sect.

The Master has been fighting with that guy for so long, why are you so indecisive?"

Jianyuan did not speak.

For a long time, he waved his hand, and a pile of miscellaneous items flew out from the broken wall of the workshop, falling to the ground. Among them, two pieces of mercury were particularly eye-catching, one hard as iron, one flexible as silk.

"Give it back to him."

He said, "Trash, it's an eyesore to keep."

Ye Xian was puzzled: "The Master is leaving?"

"Otherwise? Falling short of success."

Jianyuan was indifferent: "Lu Changsheng can't hold on, do you want me to stay here and be his cushion?"

Jianyuan was indifferent: "I lost a round to a kid. And then, at the hands of his teacher, I lost another round. In just one day, I've lost enough face."

Ye Xian shook her head coldly, "If the Master could not be obsessed with 'all', and abandon one or two, you wouldn't be so embarrassed today."

Just like what she said at the beginning...

Sometimes you have to make trade-offs.

Sometimes, wanting the best of both worlds, and working in vain until the end, it's only possible to get neither.

Having both, being omniscient and omnipotent, is just a dream.

In the past, Jianyuan was obsessed with 'all', which is why he was paranoid and possessed, not hesitating to throw himself into stagnation. Now, also because he was obsessed with 'all' and refused to let go, he lost this hand to Ye Xian.

To some extent, even if he hadn't been tainted by sin, this arrogant heart of Jianyuan was already destined to be of the stagnation category!

At the same time, not only maintaining the artificial Heavenly Track and the Quancheng Deep veins, but also resisting the Association's counterattack and erosion, and at the same time, diverting energy to confront Ye Xian's intrusion and attack...

Each of these was enough to exhaust the energy of an ordinary artisan, but before the total collapse, he hadn't fallen behind in any of these three, even suppressing the fierce attack of the juniors with ease.

Until Lu Changsheng was trapped by the weight of the present world, the Security Bureau launched a full-scale counterattack, and then a down-and-out guy named Ji Jue sprinkled ten thousand straws on the camel's back...

Relying on the Heavenly Track, he directly performed a Deus ex Machina DDoS attack, increasing massive pressure in every possible way.

As a result, one loss leads to all losses, one failure leads to all failures.

How could it come to this?

Hearing this, Jianyuan couldn't help but sneer in contempt: "As expected of that guy's student, the way you speak is exactly the same as your high-and-mighty teacher.

I have sought 'all' my life, rising and falling to this day, but how do you know I cannot have 'all'?!

If I retreat in the face of difficulty, how am I any different from that guy?!"

"Who knows?"

Ye Xian shook her head, not caring at all: "If the Master is obsessed with the name of orthodoxy, please go and argue with him.

I am a traitor who set up my own sect, even my name has been removed from the register; please don't drag me into these things anymore, okay?"

"Only at this time, you are most like that guy."

Jianyuan shook his head, mocking and sighing, but didn't know whether he was mocking Ye Xian, her teacher, or himself.

Just when he raised his head, he looked at that bit of high-hanging illusory light and suddenly asked:

"What is his name?"

"Ji Jue."

Ye Xian answered, "My student, Ji Jue."

Jianyuan nodded in realization, looked back at his opponent for the last time, but couldn't help but want to laugh.

For the sake of orthodoxy, he and that guy fought for a lifetime, but the student that guy loved most had broken out of the sect and treated it like trash.

The teacher who disdained the Deep Stagnation Path had taught a heretical student who wandered between supreme goodness and great sin.

And there were others who were chasing death and destruction, yet immersed in the dream of supreme goodness... and he, a Deep Sect Master, would actually feel regret because of this.

So-called fate is always so bizarre.

No, so-called artisans are perhaps just like this.

Even if they abandon morality and conscience, they cannot let go of their obsession, until death.

"Artisan..."

He sighed, waving his hand.

The shadow like a tide rose, swallowing him and the workshop, dissipating silently, never to be seen again.

From the gradually thinning rain of sin, Ye Xian raised her head and looked at the collapsing and turbulent Quancheng, everything sinking into hell; finally, her gaze looked toward the flashing light like a star above the firmament.

There was no joy or pride in winning a hand from the Deep Sect Master; instead, she couldn't help but shake her head and sigh silently.

To have such a student, it really was bad luck for eight lifetimes.

Should I find an opportunity to expel him?

That would save him from causing some heaven-shaking disaster in the future and implicating me, his innocent teacher...

Above the firmament, the massive wound closed silently.

Radiance shone everywhere, rolling; after losing the vortex's projection, the weight of the present world increased sharply, the sound of breaking erupted from the body of the great sin, and cracks spread.

"Things have come to this, there's little to be done."

The phantom of the old monk appeared before Lu Changsheng, holding the fish tank in his hand; the fish in the tank lazily flicked its tail, and the old monk said:

"It asks you, why be so persistent?"

"This is the war and challenge I initiated, how can I end it with a whimper?"

The sin-tainted incarnation smiled indifferently, glancing at the collapse of decades of painstaking efforts, and suddenly calmed down: "If I throw away my armor and flee in panic at this moment, wouldn't I let the Heavenly Human laugh at me?

If I die and go to the nine springs, what face would I have to face Tao Gong?" 【

"Isn't this just me?"

Lu Changsheng did not care at all. He raised his head and gazed at the sky beyond the night, at those surging rays of light, and grinned: "Jian Yuan has left; you all should go, do not worry."

He said, "I still have the next act!"

At this moment, within Quancheng, inside all the surviving sanctuaries, a high-pitched bell toll erupted in perfect unison.

The gifts and divine essences of many high-ranking sins flowed and fell into Lu Changsheng's body. He waved his hand casually, letting his subordinates scatter and flee, not caring in the slightest.

He merely raised his hand, looking through the gap between his fingers at the flashing light hanging high in the sky.

Ji Jue.

It was a pity that, from so far away, apart from a face, he could see nothing clearly.

However, that look in his eyes...

It was truly distinct!

Even if he were lucky enough to meet him in the vast sea of people another day, he surely wouldn't confuse him with anyone else, right?

"Poisonous hatred and blood feuds, so pure—it is truly rare and commendable."

He could feel the flow and changes of the many great sins' aura and nature in the wounds that were still aching faintly—Stagnant Rot, Wild Slaughter, Absolute Abyss, Tower and Wolf...

Since when did the Profound Path have another such seed?

It seems the present world and the Profound Path will not be able to have any peace in the days to come.

He hadn't expected that, besides Tian Yuan, there would be another great threat today.

Truly gratifying!

Truly a pity...

"I have no chance left."

He withdrew his gaze and sighed with regret, "And neither do you."

In that instant, Lu Changsheng finally let go of his hand.

He let this weight of the present world, gifted by Tao Gong, fall from his hand.

Vast heavenly light poured down like a rainstorm. Right in the deepest part of Quancheng, the decree of Tian Yuan gifted by Tao Gong spread like a tide, brilliance crisscrossing, instantly stripping away all remnants of the Evil-Transforming Sect and severing all traces of the great sins.

With this, the outcome was decided!

But as this heavy shackle loosened, the aura of the great sin rose and changed, expanding magnificently. As he slowly stood up, infinite rainbow light gathered once more, shrouding everything.

Even though he was severely wounded, that cruel and violent spirit seemed even greater than before!

"The vastness of Tian Yuan, the weight of the present world... Tao Gong, I have learned this lesson!"

He reached out and touched the crack on his chest, the wound of Tian Yuan that had pierced the body of the great sin, but he was reluctant to wipe it away. He looked back at the sky: "Sorry to have kept you all waiting. I wonder which of you will come to let me experience your prowess?"

The newcomers were silent.

Cold, stern gazes were cast down from the sky, looking down indifferently.

The Lou clan, the Tong clan, the Jiang clan, the Yu clan, and even the Ji clan of the Central City, the Li clan of Huangzhou... over a dozen Heavenly Humans appeared here, their killing intent ferocious!

With the failure of the sin-transformation of Quancheng, the outcome of the gamble was revealed, and Tian Yuan took it all. The sin-affiliated forces in the Federation suffered this great defeat, scattering once again into a loose sand. All parties who had placed heavy bets or were anxiously watching gained nothing and could only leave in frustration.

It was as if destiny had turned; Lu Changsheng had hidden his claws and teeth for decades to prepare for this day, leaping to become a key piece capable of deciding the future direction of the present world.

If he could have succeeded in one stroke, naturally all sins would have come to join him, and becoming the spokesperson for the vortex of the present world would have been a matter of course. But now, within this single day, he had lost everything, and naturally, there was no longer any help or luck to speak of.

But one thing had not changed... as long as he was still alive, as long as he had a single breath left, he would be a scourge to the present world!

The moment of reckoning had arrived.

In that instant, thunderclaps rose, and rainbow light surged.

Amidst his wild laughter, the sin of the human world changed once again, rising fiercely into the sky, crashing headlong without hesitation into the net of heaven and earth that had already been prepared for him!

Seeking his own death!

In an instant, in the chaotic night sky after the dark clouds dissipated, five-colored lights changed, wild winds blew, and intense light collided, with a heart-stopping tide of spiritual quality spreading in all directions.

From within the manic laughter, that strange, burning rainbow light collided left and right, clashing head-on. Blood fell like a rainstorm, but before it could hit the ground, it was completely evaporated.

In an instant, who knows how many Encircled Realms and Time-Wedges locked and shrouded him, the rainbow light rolling and being crushed and strangled inch by inch.

In the end, amidst the burning stars, a pair of vast and magnificent eyes slowly opened.

Looking down from above.

Just by gazing, it seemed to make the stars stagnate, all phenomena freeze, and everything turned into dust and ants, no longer able to act recklessly before that supreme power.

That was the pinnacle of the Tian Yuan Path, the manifestation of the power of Supreme Good in the human world.

—The so-called, 【Heavenly Overseer】!

And then, the absolute punishment descended.

The rainbow light filling the sky froze and stagnated.

And then, the hoarse laughter stopped abruptly. In the dead silence, the body of the great sin disintegrated, its soul annihilated, completely erased from the entire world...

Never to be seen again.

In the dead silence, the eye of the Heavenly Overseer swept across the mortal world, paused for an instant on the Heavenly Track, then drifted away indifferently. In the end, it closed coldly and disappeared.

Many Heavenly Humans scattered and left.

All abnormalities were gone, as if nothing had ever happened.

It was hard to imagine that just a moment ago, there existed here a self-important sin of foolishness that wanted to stir up the mortal world, an ambitious person who wanted to jump off the chessboard and control destiny...

"With such great power, why wait until now?"

Ji Jue stood before the broken window, gazing at the empty night sky, and asked aloud: "The mortal world is like a chessboard; is it really so satisfying to play?!"

No one responded.

It was as if the confused words of a speck of dust were too insignificant to be heard.

Or perhaps, destiny was too high and distant to bother answering.

Ji Jue closed his eyes.

When everything came to an end, the life-and-death struggle came to a close.

Quancheng fell into silence once again; salvation or corruption arrived and departed, but the ruins remained ruins.

Only the final cry dissipated in the distant wind.

On the broken streets, amidst the collapsed bricks and stones, monsters wandered in their old home, but had nowhere to go. But at this moment, everything seemed to no longer matter.

From the sharp, grating friction, they moved their bodies, walking out of the shadows step by step.

Blood still remained on their ferocious faces, and corpses were entangled in their claws and teeth.

At this moment, however, they stared blankly, raising their heads to look at the sky, at that dreamlike, flickering brilliance.

In the reassuring, high, and distant night sky, points of starlight twinkled, gathering together to form a vast river, rushing toward an unknown distance.

When looking down at the mortal world, it shed a gentle and clear light.

Strands and threads, gathering together.

Like a gentle touch.

Illuminating those faces filled with madness and pain.

Those scarlet eyes seemed to be stung by this gentle light, retreating and shrinking in terror, yet reluctant to leave.

Only pitch-black tears slid down slowly, falling into the dust.

There was light.

Unending regrets burned out in the long darkness. When the overly long nightmare came to an end, the departed souls stared blankly at the appearance of the stars, filled with fear, yet enchanted.

Even if they couldn't see the sun.

In the silence, the sound of breaking rang out once again.

When the gift of the miracle came to an end, winding cracks emerged from the rusted iron, and the incomplete bodies gradually collapsed, falling toward the earth. In the final moment, the monsters raised their heads, hissing loudly toward the lonely figure above in the sky.

The tears had run dry, and the crying had ceased.

When the end arrived, why did this sound seem like laughter?

Ji Jue was silent.

On the screen, as the countdown gradually ended, he reached out his hand once again toward the silent world.

For the last time, he mobilized the power of the Heavenly Track.

Gentle ripples spread.

Street lamps lit up one by one from their struggle, illuminating cobwebs, dust, and everything broken.

The gentle light stretched across the broken streets, walking through the empty alleys, lighting up the silent shopping malls and shattered buildings. Dust-covered plastic mannequins stood in the display windows, proudly showing off their dust-laden skirts. In the office cubicles, dim and faded documents fluttered slightly in the breeze.

Under the night sky, the neon lights were like a tide.

From within the lights, everything seemed to have returned to its original appearance: tall buildings stood in rows, the grass and trees were lush and green, and a moist, cool breeze blew from afar. It was as if the noisy human voices had risen again from the market, an invisible stream of people walked through the streets, the sound of horns spread, and cars sped along the wide roads.

The rain of suffering and despair had fallen.

At the end of a dream, the brilliance was as it had been.

Ji Jue raised his hand, wiped away the moist traces at the corners of his eyes, and looked at everything he had created.

And so, just like them, he laughed softly.

"It's so beautiful, this world."