Chapter 585: Wind Clan Survivors

……

In the Void.

A Dark Shadow in white clothes, brighter than snow, stood proudly.

It was Feng Caichen.

The Yangwu Sword in his hand, its blade shimmering, seemed as if the thing it had just slain was only a trivial ant, not affecting its peerless edge at all.

The Overwhelming Eternity aura upon him, not yet fully settled, still surged in the Void, like a rising Primordial Sun, illuminating the land of Line: Dead Silence, shrouded by Darkness for endless ages.

This sword—

Sword Cuts the Heavens! Overwhelming Eternity!

Feng Caichen's invincible might, at this moment, was fully displayed!

Ye Wuque quietly watched that white‑clothed Dark Shadow, a faint smile slowly appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Within that smile were admiration, contentment, and a pride of shared honor.

He spoke softly, his voice plain, yet carrying sincere emotion:

"Lao Feng, congratulations."

"Having slain the pinnacle great being of the Dao Ancestor, your sword path has reached its summit..."

In the Void, Feng Caichen slowly turned.

On that calm face, as still as an ancient well with no ripples, as if endless ages had never stirred it, at this moment a smile finally appeared.

The smile was very faint, so subtle that without close inspection it was almost imperceptible.

But for Ye Wuque, who knew him well, that faint smile was already the greatest expression of feeling.

"Lao Ye."

Feng Caichen gave a slight nod, his voice still plain, yet bearing a hint of long‑awaited warmth.

He sheathed the Yangwu Sword, moved, and stood beside Ye Wuque.

The two stood side by side in the Void, and for a moment, neither spoke.

A hundred years apart, countless words unspoken, yet they did not know where to begin.

After a moment, Feng Caichen's calm voice was the first to break the silence.

His tone carried a hint of loneliness, as well as a trace of calm and indifference:

"Since I began campaigning on the Origin Ancient Road... I have slain countless great foes, sword‑cut thirty‑nine Immortal Kings, nine Dao Void Realms, five Dao Lord Realms, and one Dao Ancestor Realm..."

He paused, his eyes deep, as if recalling that long and solitary era:

"Since stepping onto the No Return Path, I have never encountered any Nine Heavens Living Being."

He turned his head, looking at Ye Wuque, and in those plain eyes now flickered a rare light:

"Lao Ye, you are the first."

"I knew... you would appear here."

Upon hearing this, Ye Wuque's smile deepened a few degrees.

He raised his hand and lightly patted Feng Caichen's shoulder, saying little.

Between brothers, no words are needed.

……

The two walked side by side, heading toward the deeper reaches of the No Return Path.

Along the way, they chatted casually, each recounting their experiences over the past hundred years.

Ye Wuque spoke of his campaigns on the Origin Ancient Road, of his battle with Xuanyuan Zixi, of his experiences on the Central Emperor Island of the Ten Thousand Beasts Archipelago, of his sparring and discourse with Qiubai, and of the ominous slaying of two Dao Ancestor Realms.

Feng Caichen listened quietly, occasionally nodding, occasionally a spark flashing in his eyes.

When it was Feng Caichen's turn to speak, his tone remained as calm as water.

He spoke of his sword‑cultivation training on the Origin Ancient Road, of the many powerful foes and perils he faced, and of his insight and breakthroughs regarding the Tai Chu Nine Swords.

Mid‑story, his tone suddenly faltered a little.

Then, he again used that plain tone, and slowly began:

"Here... I saw my Wind Clan predecessor, the Dark Corpse buried here."

Ye Wuque fell silent.

He, of course, knew what the Wind Clan was.

It was once one of the peak great clans that shook the Nine Heavens Ten Lands, truly a house of loyal heroes.

During those dark years of resisting the ominous and defending the Zhutian, the Wind Clan, from top to bottom, surged forward one after another, fighting bloodily, achieving unimaginable great deeds for the Nine Heavens Ten Lands.

Yet behind those achievements lay endless sacrifice.

Now, the Wind Clan seems to have only Feng Caichen left as a living being.

Ye Wuque said no comforting words.

He knew that for Feng Caichen, any consolation would be superfluous.

He only needed to know that he had always been there, and that was enough.

Feng Caichen's eyes suddenly brightened.

A faint, self‑deprecating smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Not all of them are dead."

"Besides me... there is another Wind Clan member."

Ye Wuque raised an eyebrow: "Another one?"

Feng Caichen nodded, and within those plain eyes a hint of complexity flashed:

"Unfortunately, he has already gone mad..."

He paused briefly, as if recalling the recent encounter:

"I met him not long ago... wild and crazy, not a normal person at all... but he is indeed a member of the Wind Clan."

Feng Caichen's gaze remained calm.

But Ye Wuque could feel that beneath that calm lay unimaginable murderous intent and indifference.

Not toward that mad clan member.

But toward those that caused all this—Inauspicious.

Ye Wuque let out a soft sigh, asking nothing further.

He knew that Feng Caichen had his own path to walk and his own debts to settle.

He only needed to stand by his side when needed.

The two continued onward.

After a long while, Ye Wuque finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of gravity:

"Let's keep going deeper and take a look."

"Over a hundred years have passed; perhaps... over at Nine Heavens Ten Lands, things are already unsettled there."

Feng Caichen nodded.

Although the situation was dire, the two now possessed considerable strength.

The combat power at the peak of the Dao Ancestor Realm, in Zhutian Wanjie, can be counted among true strong ones.

They were confident they could overcome future difficulties.

The two quickened their steps, gradually moving deeper into the direction of the No Return Path.

……

No Return Path, an unfathomably deep place.

Here is the true front line.

It is the forefront of confronting the Inauspicious Clan and contending with the Dark Source.

Countless ancient supreme Dark Beings, from various epochs and universes, are stationed here, using their lives and Dao cultivation to build an unbreakable defense line for the living of Zhutian Wanjie.

In the core of this region lies a modest, unadorned complex of buildings.

The complex occupies a small area, yet it is tranquil and elegant.

They sit in a graceful land surrounded by mountains and water, like a secluded paradise, forming a stark contrast to the endless darkness, Dead Silence, and terror outside.

This complex is the core garrison of this crucial node.

Each seemingly unremarkable Dongfu houses an ancient, vast micro‑world.

Each micro‑world is inhabited by one, or even several, supreme Dark Beings stationed there.

Among them, several adjoining micro‑worlds are linked by their qi, together forming the backbone of this node.

At this moment, within those micro‑worlds, each seats an infinitely grand, infinitely towering ultimate Dark Shadow.