Chapter 298: Azure Lotus of the Grand Dao, Clear and Turbid Qi, the River of Time, a Final Struggle

The whole world fell silent.

Inside the Eternal Night Palace, it was even more deathly silent.

Called the Immortal Five Clans, called the Undefeated Five Clans, the undefeated ones who have survived from ancient times to the present.

One invincible existence after another.

They actually just died like that.

Their deaths were stifling.

In their view, such beings should have died in a cataclysm, or in a world-shaking great battle.

But now their deaths seem hasty, as if too casual.

But dead is dead, an indisputable fact.

And beyond the Heavenly Dome,

The Heavenly Realm twisted, both dim and aurora‑colored, appearing especially oppressive.

There was no violent wind, no heavy rain.

But this strangeness, as if heaven and earth were about to shatter, made people feel uneasy.

Inside the Eternal Night Palace,

Gu Jin Nian clearly knew that the true great enemy was about to appear.

He appeared calm, gazing into the Heavenly Realm.

"Jin Nian, we shouldn't have killed them."

"What the Upper Dwelling Saint said is correct."

At this moment, a voice sounded—Su Wenjing's.

He gazed at the Heavenly Realm, knowing the Upper Dwelling Saint spoke no falsehood; slaying the Five Clans would bring even greater trouble.

"Sir."

"The Five Clans are a malignant tumor; if we don't eradicate them completely, this tumor will only grow larger, its influence will only increase, and by the time we want to act, it will be largely pointless."

Gu Jin Nian spoke; how could he not understand the reasoning Su Wenjing gave?

But prolonged pain is worse than brief pain.

Rather than ultimately having to face the Heavenly Dao, it's better to first exterminate the Five Clans.

Hearing this reply, the other let out a long breath, knowing Gu Jin Nian was right, and that in this Great Age only he could save it; they could offer some reference opinions, but merely suggestions—authority still lay in Gu Jin Nian's hands.

Click click click click click.

Just then, a strange voice sounded.

Like glass shattering, like a mirror breaking—a piercing sound that made one's scalp tingle.

Only see: in the Heavenly Dome, fragments fell, forming light curtains; the world seemed to wither, appearing extraordinarily strange.

Mountains, rivers, sun and moon all changed; especially the golden sun and bright moon, which appeared simultaneously and split in two.

There was an indescribable strangeness.

"Gu Jin Nian."

Soon, a familiar voice sounded.

It was the Upper Dwelling Saint's voice.

In an instant, the world erupted; people were astonished, unable to believe the Upper Dwelling Saint was still alive—could he survive even after the Four Great Saints joined forces? Impossible, absolutely impossible.

The next moment.

Above the Heavenly Dome, the Upper Dwelling Saint's face appeared, but his countenance had lost its serenity and holiness, instead appearing hideously vicious and ugly, his whole body stained with dark aura.

Inside the hall,

Gu Jin Nian frowned, also somewhat surprised; the Upper Dwelling Saint's primordial spirit had been exterminated by him, so how could he still appear?

But soon Gu Jin Nian understood the reason.

The Heavenly Dao assisted.

Allowing them to revive.

Boom—

One immortal figure after another appeared: Xuanyuan King, Heaven‑Swallowing King, God‑Slaying King, Four Seas Dragon King, Ten Great Demon Gods, Demonic Clan Supreme.

Also appeared even more terrifying figures, akin to the Extinction Sword God.

These figures emerged, suppressing the cosmos, making heaven and earth tremble, the Great Age collapsing.

With each figure that appeared, heaven and earth grew more twisted.

"Gu Jin Nian, didn't expect this, did you? We haven't completely died yet."

"In ancient times the Heavenly Dao granted us greater strength; as long as we destroy this Great Age, we still have a chance to appear in the next new era."

"We haven't lost, and you haven't won."

The Upper Dwelling Saint's voice sounded; he was somewhat deranged, so his speech came across as mad and raving.

Not only him, the North Sea Dragon King's voice also followed.

"Gu Jin Nian, I really have to thank you; if not for you, we Five Clans would still be struggling, killing each other, and after you exterminated us, the Heavenly Dao exchanged our vital spark for new life."

"In the next era, we will still be here, while you will be buried together with this Great Age."

The North Sea Dragon King spoke, laying out their current situation.

As he spoke, the North Sea Dragon King roared; the Great Age shuddered, his dragon's cry shattered a hundred thousand great mountains, countless commoners died instantly, without even a chance to cry out.

It must be said, the North Sea Dragon King's strength has been amplified, at least reaching the peak of the Nine Heavens, stronger than before by more than tenfold.

This information put pressure on Gu Jin Nian; indeed, it was somewhat terrifying.

Merely the North Sea Dragon King received such a boost—what about the rest of these immortals?

Moreover, looking up, above the firmament, there were still strong ones from ancient to modern times.

Rumble rumble rumble.

The firmament trembled, all the supremely strong ones made a move; from the shattered firmament above, they descended, wanting to begin a great reckoning.

However, suddenly, chains appeared, bursting forth from between heaven and earth, from the great divine mountains, and the most terrifying chain was released from Xizhou Mountain, directly sealing these terrifying existences one by one.

Clang clang clang.

The crisp sound of chains colliding rang out.

"Lord of Xizhou Mountain, even at this point, do you still insist on being obstinate and unenlightened?"

"Do you know who you are facing?"

The Fire King's roar rang out; seeing the Lord of Xizhou Mountain make a move, he could not help but fly into a rage—previously he had almost died at the Lord of Xizhou Mountain's hand, and now he had become a slave of the Heavenly Dao, naturally becoming reckless.

He voiced his anger, blamed the other party, and also threatened.

Pop.

An unprecedented sound rang out, as if coming from the universe itself; a terrifying bell-wave sound rang out, an astonishingly terrifying explosion shockwave, directly blasting the Fire King's form to pieces.

The air was blown apart by this aura, space collapsed, giving rise to the most primal earth, fire, water, and wind.

The invincible Fire King, this time his aura was completely extinguished; even with the protection of the Heavenly Dao, he died beyond any possibility of revival.

The common folk gaped in disbelief at all this, even the sages were dumbfounded.

Gu Jin Nian also stood frozen in place.

Knowing that the Lord of Xizhou Mountain had a mysterious origin and strength beyond imagination, yet I never imagined that the Lord of Xizhou Mountain would be this strong—possessing the Heavenly Dao's protection, yet slapped to death with a single palm?

Should it be this ruthless?

But, good times don't last long.

Thud thud thud thud.

Bundles of divine light fell from the heavenly realm, all landing around Xizhou Mountain; within the divine light were endless runes, each rune being a formation of ten thousand great arrays, directly binding the Lord of Xizhou Mountain within.

This is the Heavenly Dao making a move.

Utterly merciless.

Click click click click click.

The sound of chains straining to break continued, as the five tribes' supremely strong ones frantically struggled to break free; once the chains were broken, they would become avengers, destroying the entire great world.

Carrying hatred and fury.

Boom.

But, at the critical moment, tens of thousands of divine lights burst forth, empowering these chains, rendering the five tribes' strong ones completely unable to move.

"Who is it?"

"Who dares to defy the Heavenly Dao?"

The five tribes' strong ones went mad; having barely seen hope for revenge, they never expected to encounter this again—how could they not feel anguish?

"Could we possibly strive for a bit more time?"

An ancient voice rang out; it was a middle-aged scholar, his apparition appearing between heaven and earth, the Heavenly Dao of the great world.

He appeared here, wanting to make a final gamble.

To strive for the last bit of time for Gu Jin Nian.

"Is it needed?"

"Is the given time not enough?"

"Four chances have been given; the great world has never changed, still filled with slaughter."

"Give up; let us together create a new world, for we have been wrong from the very beginning."

An aged voice rang out, as if coming from eternity itself.

Within this voice, there was calm, urging the present Heavenly Dao to let go.

"We have waited for such a long time; why not wait a little longer?"

The present Heavenly Dao continued to speak, unwilling to relent.

However, the ancient Heavenly Dao gave no answer; this silence itself was the most direct answer.

"If we fail again this time, I am willing to merge with the Dao."

In the end, the present Heavenly Dao gave a promise, using merging with the Dao as the price to strive for the last moments.

Indeed, upon hearing this, silhouettes appeared one after another, a total of forty-nine silhouettes, representing forty-nine different Lords of the Heavenly Dao.

They once each controlled an era, serving as the Heavenly Dao of that era.

The forty-nine Lords of the Heavenly Dao appeared; around them were endless radiance, and various unimaginable phenomena flickered around them.

They are the Heavenly Dao, existences that transcend all things.

"How long will it take?"

The leading Lord of the Heavenly Dao spoke, inquiring of the other party.

Aside from the present Heavenly Dao, the other Lords of the Heavenly Dao all appeared vague, their faces impossible to discern clearly.

They appeared especially illusory.

The latter did not answer, but instead looked toward Gu Jin Nian, then slowly spoke.

"Three years."

He spoke; this time is not long—at least for the Heavenly Dao, three years is like a snap of the fingers, even describing it as such is somewhat exaggerated.

Perhaps just an instant; for them, time inherently holds no concept.

"Good."

"Three years."

"If we fail after three years, then we should directly unite with the Dao without any struggle. Is that acceptable?"

The other party asked.

"Yes."

The present Heavenly Dao immediately agreed.

Upon hearing this, the masters of the Heavenly Dao said no more and gave their assent.

Boom—boom—boom.

Golden chains shot upwards one after another, sealing the heavens and earth, and also completely sealing the Ascended Saint, King Xuanyuan, and others.

"After three years."

"If the primordial calamity cannot be resolved, everyone will be buried."

The latter spoke those words and then vanished completely.

With their disappearance, all anomalies faded away, and the sense of distortion and fragmentation vanished entirely.

If the recent scene were not vivid in memory, people would think it was just a dream.

Heaven and earth were silent.

No one spoke.

They only stared blankly.

The people were silent, their hearts unusually heavy.

Although they had secured three years, for some unknown reason a sorrow spread through the hearts of the great world's living beings; they inexplicably felt that this time Gu Jin Nian would likely be unable to save the world.

After all, this is a struggle against the Heavenly Dao.

If the Heavenly Dao of fifty eras could not solve the problem, what can Gu Jin Nian possibly do? Yet no one dares to voice it; at this moment, who would speak up? Who would speak recklessly?

Inside the Eternal Night Palace.

Gu Jin Nian stood in place, his expression calm, and the surroundings changed in an instant.

He arrived within a blessed secret realm.

Inside the secret realm.

The present Heavenly Dao stood with hands behind his back, gazing at the green mountains and clear waters, his face serene.

Using supreme divine power, he summoned Gu Jin Nian directly for a conversation.

"Respectfully, senior."

Seeing the present Heavenly Dao, Gu Jin Nian immediately bowed to him.

The latter shook his head, looked at Gu Jin Nian, and spoke slowly.

"No need for formalities."

"Jin Nian, there is little I can help you with; this is the final chance I have secured for you."

"In three years, if you succeed, the great world's living beings will be saved; if you fail, apart from the Lord of the Western Zhou Mountain, everything that has traversed past and present—everything—will be buried forever, including you."

"I am not sure whether you are willing to risk it; if you are unwilling, I can renegotiate with them. As mentioned before, you may select a portion of people to go to the next era."

"However, that group may not be many—at most forty‑nine people."

He spoke, not hiding his status, and disclosed everything to Gu Jin Nian, while once again presenting the original choice.

Originally the choice allowed taking ten thousand people away; now it was reduced to forty‑nine.

Hearing this, Gu Jin Nian did not hesitate and asked directly.

"May I ask, senior, what exactly is wrong with heaven and earth, and why is it like this?"

"And what exactly counts as success? Becoming a Heaven's Mandate Saint?"

Gu Jin Nian raised his two biggest doubts.

First, what is the problem with heaven and earth?

Second, what constitutes success? Becoming a Heaven's Mandate Saint?

That seems unlikely; if it were becoming a Heaven's Mandate Saint, weren't there already four such saints? So he was curious.

Listening to Gu Jin Nian's doubts, the latter said nothing more and extended his hand.

In an instant, a half‑black, half‑green lotus appeared in his hand.

The lotus bore fifty petals; forty‑nine were jet‑black, leaving only one remaining, which was also half‑black and half‑green.

Even the lotus root seemed faintly tinged with darkness.

"This is the Great Dao Azure Lotus; all things in heaven and earth are birthed from this azure lotus, including us masters of the Heavenly Dao, who too were born of the lotus."

"Each petal represents an era; rather than saying we are the Heavenly Dao, we are better described as guardians of the great world."

"Before all things were born, heaven and earth possessed yin‑yang qi, the two essences of purity and turbidity. Purity lifts heaven and earth, allowing the living to dwell peacefully, while turbidity drags everything down, signifying destruction."

"If the Great Dao Azure Lotus is surrounded by turbidity, true destruction will ensue."

"Including us, no one would survive."

"However, we still have a final recourse: to cleanse both purity and turbidity, resetting everything. Because of this, they are determined to annihilate the great world; for them, if they do not seize this chance, there will be no future opportunity."

The present Heavenly Dao's explanation made Gu Jin Nian fully understand.

"Then what is the method of resolution?"

Gu Jin Nian asked the second question.

"Become a Heaven's Mandate Saint, cultivate benevolent thoughts, perceive heaven and earth, and, with the power of the Four Saints, purge the turbidity between heaven and earth."

The latter replied.

"Simply becoming a Heaven's Mandate Saint is enough?"

Gu Jin Nian did not quite understand.

"No."

The four Heaven's Mandate sages ahead have all written immortal scriptures; they are all preparing for you.

Becoming a Heaven's Mandate sage is only the first step; the true core is whether you can comprehend the sage's way and write an unparalleled sage's scripture.

Before the four scriptures, you must take their root, transform their form, and write the ultimate sage's scripture.

Therefore, you must enter the Time River; I have secured three years for you, so that you can make all preparations.

After three years, upon entering the Time River, if you succeed, heaven and earth and all beings will chant your name for eternal immortality; if you fail, the great world will be buried together with you.

Don't overthink it, don't put too much pressure on yourself; in a sense, the outcome is the same.

The present Heaven's Dao spoke the solution.

It is somewhat heavy, but what he said is not wrong.

The outcome is the same.

However, you can tell that the other side seems not to have great hope for you.

May I ask, senior, what is the probability of success this time?

Gu Jin Nian inquired.

If you can walk out of the Time River, it is less than one-tenth.

Writing an unparalleled scripture is probably even less than one-tenth.

The other party gave a direct answer, which is also the truth.

This probability is indeed tiny.

Then why, senior, do you still strive?

Gu Jin Nian was somewhat puzzled; since success is so difficult, why still strive?

After all, this great world is one I have witnessed with my own eyes; to see it vanish like this leaves a bad taste in my heart.

To me, everyone in this great world is my subject, without distinction of high or low, noble or common.

If you wish to strive, then I will help you strive; that's all.

He spoke, appearing very calm; likewise, this is also his inner voice.

Alright.

Three years' time—go back and cherish it well.

Even if the final outcome is unsatisfactory, at least during these three years you can accompany your parents, be together with the one you like, and see many things you have never seen before.

Perhaps the brevity of time will make you cherish it even more.

Go.

The present Heaven's Dao spoke lightly; after saying this, he waved his hand, and the surrounding scenery vanished swiftly.

Soon, he opened his eyes again.

Gu Jin Nian found himself back inside the Eternal Night Palace.

Everything seemed as if nothing had happened; to others, not even a moment had passed.

There was some silence.

Gazing upon a sky washed azure.

Gu Jin Nian recalled the words of the present Heaven's Dao.

Finally, he took a deep breath, stepped out of the Eternal Night Palace, his voice resounding loudly, conveying to the great world.

In three years.

I will set foot on the Time River to prove the Heaven's Mandate sage's way.

To continue the glory of the prosperous age.

To open myriad ages of peace.

Gu Jin Nian's voice sounded.

Conveying to the entire great world.

Inspiring the people's hearts.

His voice, as if wielding divine power, dispelled the gloom in people's hearts.

Gu Sage, eternal.

In an instant, the cries of the myriad people rose.

Their mood was indeed low, but when Gu Jin Nian's voice rang out, full of confidence, for a moment it made them exceedingly joyful.

This moment.

The world sang praises of Gu Jin Nian's name.

But in the hall, most people actually knew deep down that this was probably the last three years.

A problem that the masters of Heaven's Dao throughout ages could not solve.

How could Gu Jin Nian possibly solve it? Upon careful thought, one knows it is extremely difficult.

However, people did not say much; even if unwilling to admit it, they still placed their last hope on Gu Jin Nian.

(End of chapter)