Chapter 306

"Follow me, old man."

A Qi sheathed his dagger and hurried after him.

Before leaving, he turned his head to look behind.

The residual ripple of the converging void vortex had not yet subsided, and the shattered meteorite belt floated around in the weightless environment.

That lofty white-clad youth was ultimately exiled by the will of the world.

Have I truly become free?

"What are you staring at?"

The Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor's withered flesh stood not far away; he raised his shriveled right hand and beckoned to A Qi.

"Here I am, Immortal Venerable."

A Qi hastily gathered his wits and rushed toward the Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor.

The two passed through layer upon layer of pattern barriers and entered the core of the massive meteorite split in half.

This place was a cave within a cave; an ancient altar stood at its center, the runes engraved around it utterly unlike the mechanical code of the Stellar River Great Array, exuding the vast ancient aura of the primordial cultivation world.

"Child, you have rendered great merit."

The Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor sat cross-legged in the altar's center, his voice hoarse and dry,

"That outsider has been exiled; in this Heavenly Pivot Origin Realm, none can now stand against us."

A Qi lowered his head, standing respectfully below the platform: "I rely entirely on the Immortal Venerable's strategizing. But… what did the white-clad person mean by his words before leaving? And what should be done with Elder Gu, who remains in the air-raid shelter of Sector Eleven?"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor let out a disdainful snort, waved his hand, his tone carrying an elder's comfort and arrogance:

"It's just bluster. As for that disheveled middle-aged man who knows a bit of array theory, do you really think true immortals in this world are as common as cabbage?"

In such a spiritless wasteland, the mere descent of a foreign immortal is already a heaven‑defying anomaly; it's utterly impossible that his casual attendant would also be an immortal.

The old ancestor paused, a self‑satisfied cold smile appearing on his withered face:

"Even if he really had some skill, I have already used the highest authority of the Great Array to seal this core space completely."

He won't be able to find this place. By the time he senses something amiss, I will have already brought you to devour the origins of those three fools.

The remaining time is more than enough for us to totally control this realm.

Saying this, the Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor waved his hand, his tone carrying an elder's comfort,

"Today I will reveal to you every ultimate secret of this realm."

The old ancestor's withered fingertip pointed toward the void, and above the altar a water‑like mirror rippled open.

"The Dao of the Heavenly Pivot Origin Realm was utterly shattered in that World‑Purifying Accord."

"The Stellar River Great Array locks the earth's veins and monopolizes spiritual energy—an act of defying heaven. Though the Dao is crippled, it retains a sliver of instinctual vitality, and throughout the ages it has continually tried to save itself."

A Qi listened, entranced, even his breathing slowed a little.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he asked.

"Immortal Venerable, the person beside that white‑clad thief has been studying the Stellar River Great Array in the air‑raid shelter all this time; even someone of their caliber must painstakingly research it. Such a mighty thing—where did you originally obtain it?"

Upon hearing the question, the Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor did not answer, merely shaking his head: "Heaven and earth are inhumane, treating all things as straw dogs; if the Dao endures, it will surely send down a breaker of the impasse."

"That breaker of the impasse is the Child of Heaven's Mandate, who bears the last thread of fortune of the crippled Dao."

Child of Heaven's Mandate.

Those four words struck A Qi's ears, making his heart pound wildly.

He had long suspected as much; now receiving confirmation from this ancient Immortal Venerable, the fervent feeling of being favored by fate surged to his head.

"Does your meaning imply that I am that Child of Heaven's Mandate?"

The Heavenly Origin Old Ancestor gave no reply, his fingertip flicking once more.

The mirror image above the altar suddenly shifted.

In the picture, heavy rain poured down.

"Is this… me?"

A Qi recognized it.

Isn't this me?

"Keep watching."

That was a predetermined future in which no white‑clad youth descended and no ancient immortal sect rose.

A Qi stood before the mirror, watching the version of himself within it.

That ragged‑clothed scavenging boy hid in the deepest landfill of Sector Eleven, evading the reapers' pursuit.

The boy stumbled headlong into a collapsed underground air‑raid shelter, and in the mire beside an ancient skeleton he clutched tightly a strange ring that emitted a faint dark light.

The sharp metal edge sliced his palm; the instant his blood seeped into the ring, a semi‑transparent virtual screen sprang up on his retina, accompanied by a cold voice echoing in his mind:

"The Dao Reconstruction Terminal has been activated, bound to the sole host. Novice mission issued: Counterkill in Desperation. Mission reward: Awakening of the Pure Dao Body, a bottle of supreme marrow‑cleansing spiritual liquid……"

From that day on, the boy needed only to complete any task to receive rewards……

The image flashed forward rapidly.

The boy stole from thieves in the black market, seized resources; he sneaked into the upper city and assassinated the conglomerate's overseer; he befriended outlaws of every stripe and formed a rebel army. He went through countless life‑and‑death battles, covered in wounds, yet always turned danger into safety in dire straits, even repeatedly breaking through in battle.

The final frame froze beneath the starry sky.

The grown‑up A Qi wielded a broken sword, stepped on the shattered mechanical star core of the Vajra Old Ancestor, let out a long howl to the heavens, and shattered the Stellar River Great Array that enveloped the world.

The mirror dissipated.

Within the meteorite core, all was silent and soundless.

A Qi stared, dazed.

The image was too real, so real that he could clearly feel the sensation of each sword swing within it.

It turned out, this was the life path he was originally meant to have.

Without that white-clad youth butting in, he could still have reached the world's pinnacle, even more glorious and more legitimate than now.

"Did you see that?"

The voice of the Tianyuan Old Ancestor sounded at the right moment,

"This is the fate Heavenly Dao has laid out for you. You were supposed to rise from the ruins, stepping on the corpses of me and three other old fellows, to achieve supreme hegemony."

A Qi clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently.

The white-clad person is indeed a shameless thief!

If not for the other side's forcible intervention, why would he need to watch people's faces? Why would he suffer such humiliation?

But upon second thought, A Qi also sensed something amiss.

He raised his head, looking at the Tianyuan Old Ancestor sitting cross-legged on the altar, and his vigilance rekindled.

"Immortal Venerable, since you know I am the one Heavenly Dao has chosen to overthrow you, why still show me this vision?"

A Qi's voice tightened,

"You could have killed me in the garbage dump to eliminate future trouble. Why bother passing on your cultivation method to aid my training?"