Chapter 421: Celestial Omen: Heaven Tilts, Sky Cracks—the Final Battle Approaches!

Xie Chunan gazed at his returned youngest son, a profound, inexpressible relief surging within him.

His bearing was noble, his presence majestic!

The frivolous arrogance of the former playboy had vanished entirely, replaced by a fullness of masculinity and resilience.

His eyes were clear, like an untainted spring untouched by the dust of the world—a pure child's heart.

What startled Xie Chunan even more was the faint green aura gathering at his son's brow, as if poised to soar into the heavens.

Green aura signifies detachment from court, belonging to the Jianghu.

At Xie Mu's birth, he had carefully examined the child's facial features.

The child's fate would be aided by noble patrons, ultimately becoming a dragon of the Jianghu.

At this moment, Xie Chunan had guessed the identity of the scholar across from him.

He brought his two children and bowed deeply to Huang Dao.

"All these years, thank you, Elder, for your care and instruction of my son!"

Yet!

Xie Linghao was astonished to find that the scholar's body had not moved, yet he had already shifted two feet away.

Huang Dao smiled: "I and Xie Mu are master and disciple, yet also friends."

"All these years, he has aided me greatly—I am undeserving, and cannot accept such a grand bow."

Hearing this, Xie Chunan was inwardly startled.

His youngest son's relationship with the Demon Master seemed different from what he had imagined.

Xie Chunan did not press further.

The few exchanged only brief pleasantries.

Huang Dao took his leave.

Xie Mu went to see him off.

After descending the tavern, Xie Mu still wished to escort him further.

Huang Dao declined.

"To escort someone a thousand li still ends in parting; better to stop here."

Saying this!

Huang Dao drew from his sleeve a book—the legendary Tian Mo Ce, the supreme cultivation scripture of the Demon Dao.

The pages, made of some unknown material, had not decayed in centuries; the inked characters stitched onto them remained clearly legible.

Clearly, Xie Mu had flipped through it many times before, but now, holding it in his hands, he was deeply shaken.

"After I am gone, I do not wish my Holy Sect to lose its lineage."

"You hold it for me. Pass it on."

Xie Mu asked in confusion: "Why not find a successor?"

On this year's Jingzhe List, Huang Dao stood alongside Lu Yu and the Empress as the top three in the realm.

Of course, one more had quietly appeared on the list.

The martial world was stunned; the name immediately following the three was:

Prince of Yan, Lu Chen!

The unassuming Prince of Yan was a Grand Master of Martial Dao.

With Huang Dao's current renown, countless souls across the land wished to become his disciples.

As numerous as fish crossing a river!

Yet Huang Dao had already walked away with a smile, leaving only one profound remark:

"Have I not already found him?"

Xie Mu listened to Huang Dao's instructions, clutching the book, his gaze fixed until Huang Dao's figure vanished completely from sight.

They had walked together for years; now suddenly alone, Xie Mu felt a wave of sorrow and confusion rise within him.

The grief of parting blocked his heart like a stone.

He recalled Huang Dao's words: "Mayflies live but a day—yet dare to defy Heaven for life!"

"Why not I, Huang Dao?"

His emotions grew indescribable.

At that moment!

Xie Chunan and Xie Lingxuan also approached slowly.

Xie Chunan looked at the book in Xie Mu's hands and said:

"Keep this safe. If it falls into the Jianghu, it will stir blood and storm."

"No feast lasts forever, Mu'er—do not grieve."

Xie Lingxuan gazed tenderly at her younger brother; these years, he had wandered the Jianghu, enduring wind and rain.

Xie Mu forced a faint smile.

He turned to his father and asked: "What will become of him now?"

Xie Mu knew his father was no ordinary physiognomist—he was truly gifted.

To judge life and death, nothing beyond his reach.

Xie Chunan shook his head: "I do not know."

Xie Mu sighed.

Even his father could not foresee the fortune or misfortune of this journey!

For the first time, Xie Chunan witnessed something strange on Huang Dao.

A person's essence, energy, and spirit gather like a current above the head.

One born into royalty gathers purple qi swirling around.

One poor in wealth but brilliant in talent has jade radiance shining above; if he meets a wise lord, "jade radiance glows"; if unrecognized, "jade radiance dims."

Yet now, Huang Dao's head was utterly empty—nothing at all!

Such a sight is seen only upon the dead.

But clearly, Huang Dao was not dead.

As a true apex master of the martial world, his aura should far surpass ordinary men.

Xie Chunan pondered inwardly: there was another possibility—that he himself could not perceive Huang Dao's destiny.

Perhaps the matter Huang Dao was about to face had already exceeded his ability to foresee.

Just then!

A thunderous roar suddenly split the sky, deafening as rolling thunder.

Beneath a clear, cloudless sky, wind and clouds churned violently, strange omens appearing.

Xie Mu looked up and saw a faint crack slowly forming in the heavens, growing wider, as if the blue sky had been torn open.

This sudden omen left Xie Mu stunned.

Xie Lingxuan, seeing this, showed confusion in her eyes, then slowly regained clarity.

Households along the street flung open their windows; people rushed into the streets, gazing upward at the sky split into two halves, listening to the thunderous roar, filled with awe and dread.

Most terrifying of all, as people spoke, the sky abruptly changed!

Before their horrified eyes, the heavens suddenly sank downward, as if a colossal weight had fallen—the entire world trembled, as if the order of Heaven and Earth had shattered at this moment.

Wild winds surged, howling across the street; pedestrians scrambled in panic into their homes, faces etched with fear and unease.

Xie Chunan's mouth hung open, unable to close; he muttered:

"The omen of Heaven tilting, the sky cracking—recorded three thousand years ago."

"Reappearing upon earth!"

The people, terrified by this strange celestial phenomenon, knelt upon the ground, hands clasped.

They silently prayed, begging Heaven to quell its wrath and grant them peace and harmony.

…

Far away, in the northern winds, across boundless steppes, countless herdsmen raised their heads at once, staring at the terrifying omen above.

Dressed in thick furs, the herdsmen were deeply shaken; they stood frozen, whips slipping unconsciously from their hands.

Flocks of sheep, terrified, scattered in all directions, bleating in chorus—but the herdsmen had no attention for them.

The anomaly in the heavens cast the entire land in deep unease and panic, as if an unknown disaster were about to descend upon mankind.

…

In the Kingdom of Han, the capital.

The Qianyuan Army, three thousand brave warriors, crossed the river on wooden rafts, skillfully bypassing both camps, and under cover of night, stormed the capital.

Internal collaborators and external reinforcements joined forces, decisively defeating the Han army and the Yanbei troops rushing to aid them.

Yuwen Yan reluctantly surrendered, stepping out of the city gates himself, bearing the imperial seal and documents in submission.

The Qianyuan Army took control of Han.

Hooves had just trodden the streets of the capital.

At that moment!

The sky suddenly roared; a crack tore open as if ripped by an invisible hand—the heavens unfolded like an open "palm," slowly pressing down.

Celestial omen!

Faced with such a transformation of Heaven and Earth, the Qianyuan Army remained utterly unruffled, their formation as solid as a mountain.

At the front of the formation, a general drenched in blood and radiating murderous intent wore a black iron demon mask, making him especially striking.

She slowly lifted the demon mask, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face, gazing upward at the torn sky.

"Has it finally come?"

……

【April 6th, you stormed the Huanglong Mansion.】

【Tuoba Shu remained in the palace and drank poison wine to kill himself!】

【A mighty warlord has met his end!】

【The Northern Winds region is now pacified!】

【At this very moment, an extraordinary phenomenon appeared in heaven and earth.】

……

Yu Ke stared at the Kunxu Cauldron before him.

The large cauldron, with two ears and four legs, trembled as it rang.

An ancient aura spread from within the cauldron, growing ever denser, as if bearing endless ages of history.

Around it, chaotic, undifferentiated currents swirled endlessly.

"Dong—"

It connects above to the boundless extremes of heaven and earth.

It reaches below to the comings and goings of ten thousand ages.

Sorry sorry, I owed one chapter—I'll make it up these two days!

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(End of Chapter)