Chapter 563

After starting the livestream, Fahai instructed the temple's young monks to prepare.

In just a moment, the incense altar was set up.

Fahai's expression turned solemn as he placed a pure white jade slip at the center of the altar, lit the incense and candles, and murmured incantations.

With the rhythmic sound, the thin smoke from the sandalwood incense rose straight toward the heavens—though only a slender thread, it defied the wind, as if blessed by some mysterious force.

A thousand li away, Long Hushan.

"Strange, someone in the south is burning incense to offer to Heaven!"

"But since the Great Calamity, every time we burn incense to offer to Heaven, it ends badly—who's so foolish?"

The Old Heavenly Master opened his hazy eyes, gazed at the sky, and frowned with deep concern.

The current state of the human race is far from good.

Outside, great demons run rampant; within, war looms near.

One misstep, and the Central Plains will sink beneath the earth.

The death of a single master will change many things.

At that time, where will the Central Plains find the strength to suppress the world?

At this moment, Fahai was also uneasy.

He waited quietly for his execution.

There was one thing he did not say—on this world, cultivators who offer incense to Heaven rarely meet a good end; most are struck down instantly by thunder.

Or, their fortune plummets afterward, and they die in the 513th Calamity.

"Everyone has already thought of many solutions for my world—I can't let them worry any longer," Fahai said coldly and proudly. "I've written down the reasons for the world's transformation. Once I die, the incense power will carry it to all cultivation lands. Then they will naturally know how to solve the problem."

In the livestream chat.

Everyone's expressions were grave; no one spoke, all waiting in silence.

Boom—

Suddenly, the sky darkened with thick clouds.

The black, oppressive thunderclouds hung low, as if right above their heads, within reach.

Fahai looked up at the sky, his heart sinking: "Is Heaven truly determined to destroy me?"

Abolishing the cultivation system is also a path one could take.

But that would mean surrendering the entire fate of the human race to Heaven's Dao and to the demon clans.

Fahai did not believe in Heaven's Dao.

Because he had understood one truth—Heaven and Earth have no mercy; they treat all things as straw dogs.

Losing power and relying on Heaven's mercy, one will inevitably be abandoned one day.

And when that day comes, the human race will have not even a shred of chance to resist.

Compared to the path of the Celestial Immortals, this is the worst of last resorts, to be used only when all else fails.

Crack!

Thunder roared, silver serpents writhed wildly, engulfing the entire Jiang-Zhe region.

The chat group.

Su Xiao: "What do we do? This is bad."

Xiao Mai: "Master Fahai, run! Flee to the Taixuan Realm! As long as the green mountains remain, you'll never lack firewood!"

Hu Yifei: "I also advise the Master to retreat for now. As long as you live, there's still hope to change the fate of the human race."

Fahai: "You need not worry—I've prepared to die for the Dao. Since I've burned incense to offer to Heaven, I must wait until the final moment; I won't abandon it halfway."

Fahai: "Moreover, after my death, the human race may still have hope. The solution we discussed earlier, I've inscribed into a magic treasure. Once I die, it will be sent to every corner—my fellow cultivators will know exactly what to do."

Liu Maoxing: "Master, your compassion!"

Zhang Sanfeng: "Wuliang Tianzun! Your righteousness is noble!"

Yue Buqun: "Master, you are truly admirable—I doubt I could ever do such a thing."

Xiong Ba: "It's tough. When danger strikes, I still prefer to run."

Li Shimin: "+1"

Fahai: "Haha, your praise is too much. As a human, to sacrifice oneself for humanity—what's there to speak of? Besides, I've cultivated for over five hundred years. If I were a mortal, I'd have been reborn several times already. Life and death no longer matter much."

Meanwhile.

The masters of the Green Snake world all turned their gaze toward Jiang-Zhe.

Whether demon or human, all were intensely focused on the changes in Heaven and Earth.

"It's that Fahai guy—why would he be so foolish as to offer incense to Heaven? Haha, who'd have thought? He killed so many of our brothers and sisters, yet now Heaven claims him."

"Pity—I wanted to kill him myself. Who'd have thought he'd be taken by Heaven?"

Maoshan.

"Master Fahai, why must you do this! Don't you know the consequences of offering incense to Heaven?"

Mount Zhongnan.

"Master, you're not being wise. We hold the world in balance—we could still prolong the human race's glory for a hundred years. Now that you fall, we'll surely follow. The human race will become demon food."

The demon clans celebrated, howling.

Over the four seas, demonic winds raged.

In the deep mountains and great marshes, dragon roars echoed.

The Buddhist, Daoist, and secular cultivators guarding the famous mountains and rivers across the land now wore sorrowful expressions, silently praying, hoping for a turn of fortune.

Above, thunder rumbled for about half an hour, terrifying the common folk and demons beneath it—but not a single lightning bolt fell.

"I can't take it anymore!!!"

A demon charged at Lei Yun, "If you're gonna kill me, then kill me already—what the hell are you waiting for?"

Only halfway there, a violet thunderbolt struck down, instantly reducing the demon to ash.

The violet thunder even split apart, wiping clean all nearby demons.

"That damn thing!"

"It's caused so much suffering!"

The nearby demons, seeing this, nearly pissed themselves in terror.

Fuck, heaven was just scaring you—you can't even handle that?

Jin Shansi.

Fa Hai had been waiting when suddenly he felt dark clouds gathering above, eventually forming a vertical eye.

As the vertical eye solidified, he felt a supreme and incomparable presence settle upon him.

"Discontinue incense offerings, perform the Way of Heavenly Immortals—approved!"

The next moment, the dark clouds dispersed; within mere breaths, the clouds spanning multiple provinces vanished entirely, leaving a boundless clear sky.

"Did it work?"

Hearing the Dao's decree, Fa Hai collapsed to the ground like a programmer who'd worked three days and nights straight, yet his face broke into wild laughter.

"It worked!"

"Lord Dao, we did it!"

"The human race is saved!"

In the livestream.

Su Xiao: "After all that buildup, the heavens actually agreed?"

Xiao Mai: "Could this just be testing Fa Hai Master's sincerity?"

Hu Yifei: "Just checking his attitude, huh? 【chuckles】"

Fa Hai: "That was genuinely terrifying just now!"

Zhang Taixuan: "You didn't really think the cultivation method and system would be uploaded and the Dao would instantly approve, did you? Even the heavens' own son doesn't get that treatment."

Zhang Taixuan: "After uploading the method, the Dao must independently deduce whether this system is beneficial or harmful to itself!"

Su Xiao: "So that's why—I thought the heavens were deliberately testing the Master!"

Xiao Mai: "But at least it's done now. Everyone can finally breathe easier."

Fa Hai: "Friends, excuse me for a moment—I must contact the Celestial Master and other fellow cultivators to discuss promoting the Way of Heavenly Immortals. As for the method's cultivation points, we'll gather them too; Lord Dao, rest assured."