Chapter 431: The World Is Pacified, Great Yan Rises, Emperor Lu Chen! (End Part I!)

The four clashed, each employing their own methods.

If the three unite to repel Lu Yu, then Huang Dao and you will join forces to fight Wu Ying.

Huang Dao will also face a combined assault from the three.

Attack and defense interweave, changing in an instant!

After an unknown length of time, the celestial phenomena had changed drastically over these three days—no sunrise or moonrise, frozen in the moment when the heavens cracked open and ten thousand feet of radiant light poured down.

Eventually, Lu Yu grew more adept amid the siege; the three, helpless, could only unite against Lu Chen.

Wu Ying, unwilling to yield, sharpened her sword intent even further!

Behind Huang Dao, the "Black Vortex" sealed off Lu Yu's surrounding spiritual energy, while the small tripod in your hands, fused with crimson clouds, also suppressed his power.

Yet Lu Yu laughed aloud, his fist light growing brighter, as if his fist contained "spiritual resonance."

One punch shattered you and Huang Dao; another struck Wu Ying down.

His entire fist intent rose and fell like tidal waves; the three-headed, six-armed manifestation reappeared—but unlike before, the heads had once been indistinct, faces unseen.

Slowly, his features began to emerge, resembling the heavenly kings of a temple, yet all bowed their heads, eyes closed, silent and serene.

Wu Ying knew full well: among these four, Lu Yu had quietly emerged victorious; in his exploration of martial truth, he had taken another crucial step—his fists now held spirit, transcending mortality.

The three exchanged glances, then ceased their attack. Above, the Heavenly Gate burst open with a thunderous roar, ten thousand rays of radiant light cascading down like a waterfall, bathing Lu Yu entirely.

Cloaked in colorful clouds, his white robe whiter than snow, fluttering gently in the wind, the red mole between his brows glowed brilliantly under the light, like a celestial immortal descending to the mortal realm.

As if he never belonged to this world.

The celestial ladder slowly unfurled, stretching from the clouds to Lu Yu's feet—just one step forward, and he could ascend.

The words "ascend" meant, for countless martial cultivators, the realm they dreamed of, the ultimate goal of their lives.

Though ten thousand oppose me, I shall go!

Bathed in radiant light, Lu Yu turned to you, two clear tears streaming down his face.

You looked at him gently.

What would happen after ascension?

All four sensed dimly that this was a great heavenly opportunity.

Yet, between brothers, hearts were in tune—after ascension, reunion would be unlikely.

You smiled at Lu Yu, recalling the words he always spoke.

"As a true man, one must live free and unrestrained, wandering with ease!"

Lu Yu was already weeping uncontrollably!

He did not step onto the celestial ladder; instead, he punched the void, shattering it—the sky tore open, raining down radiant light that illuminated his face.

Martial power shatters the void! When the time comes, one need not climb the heavenly path to ascend!

You watched Lu Yu, understanding now: there were only three ascension gates—he gave up one, shattered the void himself, and left the other three for you and the other two, all because of you.

You smiled at him, as if transported back to childhood, when the north was in chaos and Lu Yu, only seven, already thought of rushing to aid his father.

Training on Mount Zhongnan, journeying north together, descending the mountain to the capital, all the way to now!

These years, you never parted—yet now, you must part.

You smiled at him, memories drifting back to childhood: when the north was in chaos, Lu Yu, only seven, already pondered aiding his father. He left you a note then: "Have you heard of the great roc rising with the wind?"

Today seemed the day the wind finally rose.

Soaring ninety thousand miles upward!

You smiled and said: "To climb the heavenly path, one must walk singing!"

Lu Yu gazed deeply at you; the celestial light above descended, and he slowly ascended.

"Brother, no matter what realm I find myself in—even the deepest hells—I will find you!"

You stared at Lu Yu's fading figure until the white robe vanished from sight, your eyes glistening with rare tears.

A true man does not weep easily—only when his heart is broken!

May he ride the wind far away, across ten thousand miles of sky, looking down upon mountains and rivers.

At that moment, three heavenly gates above poured brilliant radiant light, enveloping you, Wu Ying, and Huang Dao. Wu Ying's face showed both joy and sorrow—she had not defeated Lu Yu honorably, nor had he "shattered the void" to ascend.

Huang Dao's face lit with delight; after years of seeking the Dao, his wish was fulfilled.

To hear the Dao in the morning, one may die content in the evening!

As the two stepped forward, about to ascend the heavenly ladder, you turned your gaze downward—to Dalu Pass.

There, soldiers lay dead and wounded, floods raged, the ground split into vast fissures. Once-disciplined troops, crushed by the might of heaven and earth, now trampled and panicked.

Above, the dazzling ascension gates resembled portals to paradise; below, the mortal world was a scene of hell—screams and despair intertwined into an unspeakable sorrow.

Before Huang Dao's shock and Wu Ying's disbelief, you stepped onto the ladder—then turned back and walked away, abandoning the ascension path so close at hand, so long dreamed of by countless others.

Your figure blurred in the radiant light, yet grew clearer on the battlefield below.

You entered the battlefield and saw the earth had split into a chasm; the tide of Yuetangjiang surged in, carving out a great river.

Men and horses overturned, trampling unceasing—nearly two million troops were trapped in the valley of Dalu Pass, including the Lu Family Army who had fought beside you through life and death.

With your name and authority, you stunned both armies into silence.

You began gathering veteran soldiers, reorganizing the two armies into several orderly units to facilitate evacuation.

Within the valley, floodwaters surged in; many areas sank under erosion, as if heaven had collapsed and earth had sunk—total chaos.

In this dire moment, you realized only by carving a flood channel on the left could safety be ensured.

You swiftly organized teams to dig; hundreds of thousands worked in unison, and in little time, a channel wide enough to drain the flood was completed.

Your figure moved among the ranks, constantly boosting morale, tending to the wounded, ordering them to discard unnecessary weapons and armor to lighten their burden.

Thus, a long line of troops slowly advanced across Dalu Pass—though the road was treacherous, under your leadership, hope for life returned.

The heavens had quietly closed again!

The three heavenly gates still hung in the sky, pouring ten thousand rays of radiant light, adding a golden hue to the chaotic battlefield.

The sun, absent for three days, rose once more, its brilliance melting all—everything seemed restored.

Huang Dao and Wu Ying had climbed halfway up the heavenly ladder; the heavens mirrored a glass surface, their feet hovering over empty air as if standing on a tranquil lake.

Below, hundreds of thousands of soldiers looked up—those two seemed like gods ascending to immortality.

Yet all eyes followed the rider leading the column ahead—his figure seemed even more majestic.

Huang Dao gazed down: hundreds of thousands of troops stretched like a long dragon, and you, riding at the very front.

Of the three heavenly gates suspended above, one was slowly fading—you had not stepped upon it.

No more ascension!

His face showed confusion—he never expected you to abandon this once-in-three-thousand-years chance.

Now, heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony all aligned.

You passed the heavenly gate without entering.

Was it to save the troops below that you made this choice?

For these mortals?

The people of the realm are like wheat—cut down, they grow again!

Is it truly worth it?

Recalling your meeting and exchange in the forest beside Yuetangjiang's tavern, Huang Dao heard your words again: "Heaven and earth are cages—we are all travelers!"

Huang Dao had believed he understood you completely.

Your pursuit of the Dao was as unyielding as stone—you would never forsake this ascension.

Lu Chen, Lu Chen—I finally realize I never truly understood you!

At that moment, Wu Ying removed her mask, revealing a face of exquisite beauty. On the battlefield, her beauty was too captivating to intimidate foes, so she often wore a ghostly mask.

Now, gazing at the surviving Qianyuan soldiers below, she felt a surge of relief—after all, she was still Qianyuan's sovereign.

She stared at you, riding at the head of the column, with rolling boulders and surging floods behind you—your figure stood firm amid calamity.

Yet!

Even as sovereign of a nation, or ruler of the realm—what could it truly give her?

Wu Ying lost her mother young; from age ten, only martial arts accompanied her.

All she sought was the pinnacle of martial arts; when the mortal path ended, she would ascend to seek higher realms.

Lu Yu—she wanted to fight him once more!

Finally, as Wu Ying crossed the heavenly gate, she cast one last lingering glance westward—toward Qianyuan, her mother's resting place.

Huang Dao also glanced once more at a certain spot in Dalu Pass, smiling—it was where Xie Mu stood.

He laughed aloud: "In three thousand years, how many brilliant ancestors of our Holy Sect poured their hearts out, only to grow old and lament their bad fortune? In the end, only I, Huang Dao, have succeeded in ascending!"

"Surely, in another three thousand years, this world will remember the name Huang Dao."

As the two ascended, the heavenly gates slammed shut and vanished.

The sky cleared once more, all returning to stillness.

Yet since Lu Yu's departure, you had never looked up again.

You carefully sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—it had receded like a tide; the crimson aura of the north had vanished, as if the three who ascended had drained all spiritual energy and fortune from this world.

Your cultivation base plummeted from the Heavenly Person realm to the Grand Master realm.

Without spiritual energy to sustain you, your face aged visibly—deep marks of time etched themselves upon you.

Calmly, you took a conical hat from your saddle and placed it gently atop your head, shielding your eyes, now deeper from years of hardship.

Then, riding ahead, you led the surviving Yanbei and Qianyuan troops, vast and resolute.

…

At Dalu Pass, on the watchtower.

Xie Chunan and the others stared in disbelief at the three heavenly gates in the sky, blazing with golden light, as if they had shattered the boundary of the celestial realm.

Three portals stood stacked above the sea of clouds.

Zhou Jinyu and her son, the Emperor of Daqing, wore expressions of utter shock—they could not believe what they were witnessing.

"Mother, does the Immortal Realm truly exist?"

The Emperor of Daqing's voice trembled with awe and hope.

Is there truly heaven beyond heaven, and people beyond people?

Zhou Jinyu was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer.

Common sense told her this was impossible.

But seeing is believing!

Xie Mu's eyes sparkled with astonishment and joy!

He saw a figure clad in scholar's robes ascending the stairway to heaven.

It was the Demon Master Huang Dao!

He had truly done it—becoming the first Demon Daoist in three thousand years to ascend.

Xie Lingxuan stood nearby, gripping the railing tightly.

Since the heavenly gates appeared, she had felt an uncanny familiarity; memories of something similar surfaced in her mind.

This gate is not called the Heavenly Gate—it is called the "Reception Platform!"

But how did she know that?

She noticed Lu Chen stepped onto the heavenly stairway, then slowly stepped back down.

He passed through the heavenly gate without entering!

He chose to forsake the chance of ascension, turning instead to lead the soldiers below out of despair.

Just as he had once chosen to cultivate on Mount Zhongnan—clearly the worst possible choice.

He had always been like this.

He cared for the world, never for himself.

Tears welled in Xie Lingxuan's eyes.

At that moment!

A brilliant aurora fell from the sky, illuminating the watchtower.

All who saw it were stunned.

For the aurora enveloped Xie Lingxuan, as if draping her in divine radiance.

In heaven and earth, a faint chant seemed to echo.

"The Sacred Ruins Realm, the Spirit Spring—training concluded."

"Return to the Upper Realm!"

The aura of fortune that had long hovered above Xie Lingxuan suddenly manifested.

A cascading waterfall slowly poured downward, beneath which lay a living spring, its waters clear and transparent, within which hung a long, emerald-green sword, gently swaying with the ripples, glowing with radiant light.

The sword let out a single ring!

It cleaved open the void at the horizon, carrying Xie Lingxuan away into it.

Xie Chunan, Xie Mu, and the others had not yet reacted.

Xie Lingxuan and the heavenly gate vanished together.

Xie Mu stood frozen in daze.

"Big sister… she was truly a celestial immortal!"

Zhou Jinyu and her son could only stare in astonishment.

Xie Chunan remained lost in thought for a long time.

…

At Dalu Pass, on the hilltop.

Li Lanjiang watched as the Demon Master Huang Dao and Empress Wu Ying of Qianyuan passed through the heavenly gate, their forms gradually fading, his heart filled with boundless emotion.

Who does not yearn for the words "ascension"?

Beside him, Ye Shengnan looked regretful. She knew well that the Prince of Yan had also had a chance to attain ascension.

At this moment, the heavenly gate vanished, and the sky returned to its boundless expanse.

Li Lanjiang and Ye Shengnan's gazes sharpened instantly—they were both Grand Masters, acutely sensitive to changes in spiritual energy.

They keenly sensed that at the instant the heavenly gate disappeared, spiritual energy had been instantly drained, gone without a trace.

Their realms plummeted from Grand Master to ordinary Master level; they exchanged glances, eyes filled with bitter smiles.

The Sorrow of Spiritual Energy!

…

…

【The third year of Jianwu, Autumn!】

【The Five States are gone; the Four Seas are united.】

【The world is pacified; the Great Yan rises—Lu Chen is Emperor.】

Just a little more for Lu Chen to finish—will put it up tomorrow!

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(End of Chapter)