[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-255":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260128,4410,"Chapter 255: Heavenly Calamity, Human Misfortune","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-255",255,"\u003Cp>In the night forest, countless taut bowstrings trembled beneath the dark sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gleaming arrows, wrapped in flickering spiritual energy, shot forth with a twang, slicing through moonlight in crystalline silver streaks, raining down upon the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speeding blades churned the air around them, causing a hum to rise wherever the arrows passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the valley toward which the arrows flew, countless figures trod the air with spiritual energy, slashing downward with swords and knives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Puff—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the gleaming blade, the grotesque corpse was felled, then decapitated with a follow-up strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At intervals, lightning flashed, erupting from palms in the darkness, filling the mountain wind with the stench of charred flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this thunder technique inflicted no fatal damage upon the demonic seeds; its sole purpose was to scatter the dense waves of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, spiritual energy flowed through the valley until dawn, when the wilderness fell utterly silent—not even insect chirps or bird calls stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the members of the Si Xian Jian and local cultivators breathed lightly, finally relaxing as they gazed upon the corpses all slain in the valley, then rested for a long while in the chilly morning mountain peaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was nearly a battle devoid of any technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic seeds’ bodies were too hardened; according to the Northern Garrison squad, their physical strength surpassed even that of the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made those who had only heard of the Legacy Clan in ancient records confront once again the terrifying might of the race that had ruled Qingyun for ten thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To deal with such things, refined spells often failed; pure slashing proved more efficient, yet it drained immense personal strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting long, the Si Xian Jian still did not lower their guard, gripping iron knives as they began inspecting the corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once certain no survivors remained, all turned their gazes toward the flattened mountaintop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, severing the mountain was no terrifying technique; theoretically, with sufficient sword mastery and overwhelming force, it could be done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what realm was required to achieve such combat power? No one could say…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they were certain no ordinary person could accomplish this—otherwise, they would not have assumed a great adept had intervened before ascending the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You had left the forest and sat before a stall in Wangyue Town, eating under the dim morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A robust physique demanded greater caloric intake, and the simplest method was food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Sacred Ground of the Ancients, no combat was needed, so it could be ignored—but last night’s two sword strikes had consumed heavily; he needed more replenishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing a steaming bowl of yangchun noodles, Ji You gazed toward the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only just emerged from the Sacred Ground of the Ancients yesterday evening, and the moment he stepped out, he sensed something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because everything was too quiet—not a single insect chirp or bird call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a rotting stench drifted constantly through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You knew this odor intimately, for when he had once accompanied the Heavenly Book Academy to Wanzhuo Mountain searching for the missing Yuan Caiwei, he had smelled it many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the scent of the demonic seeds—a foul odor as if dug from decaying soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus Ji You traveled along the mountain range and indeed saw countless demonic seeds swarming back and forth throughout the valleys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had spent long within the Sacred Ground of the Ancients and knew nothing of the outside world; he never imagined this would be what greeted him upon his emergence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even so, he swiftly judged how to block the demonic seeds’ escape, and slashed his sword to sever a peak, blocking the side path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even now, he still did not know why the demonic seeds had reappeared in Qingyun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, the sun rose high, and the mountain’s aura gradually calmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had entered the mountains began withdrawing, and several from the Surveillance Division approached Ji You, bowing slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Ji, I am Mu Jing, Supervisor of the Si Xian Jian Surveillance Division. Thank you for your intervention in this extermination of the demonic seeds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You set down his chopsticks: “Even if you hadn’t come, I would have done it. I couldn’t let these demons linger in the forest—someday they’d become a disaster. But where did so many demonic seeds come from? Has some ancient ruin opened again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing shook her head: “The appearance of the demonic seeds was sudden. My division has investigated extensively but found no source—none of the registered ruins show signs of being disturbed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Ji You furrowed his brow, his eyes deepening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Qiling incident, Yan Shuyi had told him that beneath the Zheng family’s mansion lay a dungeon that once held many demonic seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, if these demonic seeds did not originate from ruins, they likely came from a similar place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if so, it was even more terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For it meant the Qiling affair was not over—that some events appearing as natural disasters might in truth be man-made calamities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these things were neither truly alive nor truly dead—mere rotting husks—and Ji You struggled to imagine what they could possibly do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have any demonic seeds appeared in Fengzhou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering a while, Ji You turned back to Mu Jing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to grand affairs beyond human control, he cared far more about Fengzhou’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing nodded upon hearing his question: “Yes, but the Northern Garrison’s main camp is stationed in Fengzhou, and no chaos has erupted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the past half-year, have any other events occurred?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There have been too many…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing’s next words revealed to Ji You how much he had missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, a month of relentless rain, sudden blizzards in the northern frontier, and crimson mists drifting from the Xuan Sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew such omens meant Heaven’s Dao was unstable, the cosmic principles in chaos—never a good sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what troubled Ji You most was the timing of these events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Mu Jing, all had occurred precisely when the Sacred Ground of the Ancients began emitting strange energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many coincidences are no coincidence—celestial omens, the emergence of demonic seeds—Ji You sensed a connection between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, according to Mu Jing, the barbarians and beast tribes had recently stirred: the barbarian army had again left the Ten Thousand Mountains and massed beyond the northern frontier; beast tribe merchants had been recalled, returning with entirely new faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only four words could incite these two tribes to stir: “Return to Jiuzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both tribes now moving, one could not help but suspect they had seen something—perhaps fortune, perhaps calamity—and together, the implications grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, Mu Jing informed Ji You that Dou Yuankong had been wounded by the demonic seeds and, after being rescued, had become mentally broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You pondered this for a long while, intending to ask for details, but Mu Jing told him she had only been responsible for the three-li-county massacre; the full investigation details were better known by Kuangcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also told him of other matters within the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the Chen Clan had clashed again with the Shanhai Pavilion, and the Qiwu Sect’s direct disciple had broken through his realm and visited Lingjian Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Mu Jing sensed a sudden sword aura and looked puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is Lingjian Mountain lately?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing blinked, then realized he meant Lingjian Mountain, not the Heavenly Book Academy: “I know little of Lingjian Mountain—aside from the incident involving the Young Keeper, I’ve heard of no major events.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned at the mention of the arrogant ghost’s name: “What happened to the Young Keeper?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the Qiwu Sect’s direct disciple emerged, he visited Lingjian Mountain and was refused by the Young Keeper, who said she already had a beloved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You froze slightly: “She said it herself—that she had a beloved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing nodded: “She spoke it plainly, though few believed her. Most thought it merely an excuse—an evasion to keep Qiwu Sect from meddling in her sect’s affairs. After all, such a solemn immortal lady seemed unlikely to fall in love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Ji You glanced at her, thinking: the world’s prejudice against immortal ladies ran too deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlikely to fall in love?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That girl Yan Shuyi always washed her own pants after coming back from playing with him—her cold expression had fooled too many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing glanced at him: “Why are you silent, Young Master Ji?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You snapped back: “I believe she has a beloved—certainly a handsome, vigorous man, very well-built.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is Yu Danzong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rumors say Yu Danzong’s direct disciple is attempting to control a sacred artifact, drawing many noble immortal ladies to visit; some young lords have also gone to pay court to Yu Danzong’s daughter—but she, too, has publicly claimed she already has a beloved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing knew of the secret affair between Yu Danzong’s daughter and Ji You, so his inquiry about Yu Danzong didn’t seem odd as his question about Lingjian Mountain had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You thought: Yuan Caiwei had some talent—this was a perfect synchronized illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shuyi, upon hearing this, would have spent long as a jealous little demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, Mu Jing looked at Ji You: “Young Master Ji, during your time in the ruins, Brother Kuangcheng often spoke of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is Kuangcheng now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Shengjing. The recent floods and scattered demonic seeds caused great chaos; the Reception Office is currently handling disaster relief paperwork.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked up at her: “Where are you heading next?” Mu Jing gazed toward the southwest: “There is still a cluster of demonic seeds in Zhongzhou—we must clear it, then return to the capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You pondered a while: “I’ll accompany you. Mind if I hitch a ride back to Shengjing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing widened her eyes: “Of course we welcome you! With Young Master Ji joining us, no demonic seed will escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When do you depart?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though the demonic seeds have been exterminated, we must still search the surroundings—first to ensure no survivors, second to trace their origin. We originally planned to leave at dawn tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After chatting with Mu Jing for a while, a servant dressed in livery approached Ji You in Wangyue Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped before Ji You and offered a sealed invitation with both hands: “Young Master Ji, I am Liu Quan, servant of the Liu family of Zhongzhou. My second young master studied with you at the Heavenly Book Academy. Upon hearing you are here, our master sent me to invite you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m merely passing through; I’ll be leaving soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only a banquet—won’t take much of your time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked up: “Banquet? A banquet is fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Jing glanced at the empty plate on the table: “Young Master Ji already ate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only one-third full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You hadn’t eaten his fill; if someone offered food, why refuse? He gladly accepted the invitation, rose from the stall, and followed the servant to the Liu residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, along the road south of Wangyue Town, the young nobles who had followed the mountain expedition still gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cruelty and ferocity of the demonic breeds left them deeply shaken; since emerging from the mountains, they had spoken little, silently watching Ji You’s figure the whole time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that they saw him walking toward them, their gazes grew even more focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For over half a year, Ji You had been in seclusion, unseen by anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when someone emerged from the Sacred Ground of the Ancients did news arrive that he remained at the Tongxuan Realm, sparking widespread murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, as they discussed this, they had speculated his talent was limited—this rumor had briefly eased the hearts of many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Tang Jingming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Tian Dao Assembly, he had always felt his chances were strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after losing to Ji You, and then hearing upon awakening that Ji You had taken the top rank, he still believed that as one of the elite among aristocratic youths, he was not far behind—if he worked hard, opportunity might still come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when he heard Ji You had stayed so long in the Sacred Ground yet remained at Tongxuan, he even felt Ji You had wasted an opportunity that should have been his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the difference between seeing with one’s own eyes and hearing secondhand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after entering the mountains last night, when Ji You, beneath the moonlight, severed a barren peak and suppressed all demonic breeds, did he truly understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not seen the moment the mountain broke—but the sword qi rising into the sky, he felt with absolute clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stark contrast suddenly made him realize Ji You was not on the same level as him at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always dreamed of catching up to the famed disciples of immortal sects, but last night’s Ji You, whose sword-song echoed through the mountains, had already reached the level of a direct disciple of an immortal sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one’s emotions were more complex than Qiu Hanyue’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a delicate girl from a modest family, she had always thought strength was not the first priority—until nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But yesterday, when the corpse of a demonic breed lunged at her face, she realized how vital it was to have a powerful protector beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a sense of safety amid chaos, something no other thing could replace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ji You walking toward them, Qiu Hanyue, hesitating, could not help but softly speak: “Ji You, have you emerged from seclusion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned to look at her, his gaze slightly puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he thought for a moment before remembering who she was, then politely nodded to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had no particular feelings toward this daughter of the Qiu family—she was merely a stranger whose name he knew; out of habit, he would still greet her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Qiu Hanyue froze slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered now that she and Ji You had only briefly met once—she remembered him clearly only because at the Tian Dao Assembly, everyone remembered that figure vividly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Ji You, she was merely a woman he had seen once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, Ji You was invited into the Liu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liu family of Zhongzhou was also close to the Heavenly Book Academy; their descendants had always possessed decent talent, and though not top-tier in Zhongzhou, they were still notable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Qichen, who had challenged Ji You during the Tian Dao Assembly preliminaries, was one of their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of their closeness to the Heavenly Book Academy, it was no surprise the Liu family wished to host Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the banquet was not attended solely by the Liu family head—there was also an elderly ancestor of the Liu family, his hair and beard entirely white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The banquet lasted until the Wei hour; conversation centered on matters of Fengzhou and the Heavenly Book Academy. Clearly, the Liu family sought to cultivate goodwill with Ji You, and since Ji You was eating their food, he naturally could not refuse their face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ji You departed from the Liu residence, the sun had already begun its descent; the Liu family head personally escorted him to the gate, and upon returning, found his own ancestor standing in the courtyard, still gazing in the direction Ji You had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I first heard that a peasant cultivator from Fengzhou had defeated a bloodline disciple of the Blood Sword Peak who had broken through just before the match, I didn’t believe it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Families that have endured in Qingyun’s world all have depths far beyond what they appear—how much more so an immortal sect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now that I’ve seen him, I’m astonished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immortal cultivators overly worship realms and aura—but Ji You’s combat power is far from what it seems.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps even I would find it difficult to defeat him, especially since I’ve grown old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liu family head’s mouth opened slightly, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liu ancestor was an expert of the Yingtian Realm—such a level could serve as an Elder in an immortal sect, and in a family, he was certainly a formidable figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lifespan now neared its limit, so for the past decade he had remained in seclusion, striving to break through into the Wujiang Realm, seeking to steal time from heaven, unwilling to waste a single moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now he had specifically left seclusion just to see Ji You once—and this news quickly spread to many surrounding families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among families within the same province, encounters were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially among those of marriageable age—like Tang Jingming, Liu Qichen, Qiu Hanyue, and Sheng Xiyu—who had not rushed home but instead chatted idly in a quiet courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your family head actually looked at him? What did he say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ancestor said… don’t worship realms, don’t be fooled by aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said even now, Ji You would be difficult for him to defeat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your family ancestor is already at the threshold of the Wujiang Realm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ancestor must be modest—he even mentioned he’s old—but I think regardless, Ji You, having spent half a year in the Sacred Ground, must have surpassed the Rongdao Realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those who cannot ascend, the purpose of cultivation is simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One: longevity. Two: combat power—only with sufficient combat power can one command sufficient deterrence in Qingyun’s world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Tian Dao Assembly, everyone knew Ji You’s combat power was astonishing—he had defeated Rongdao Yan Hao while still at Tongxuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one expected that after returning from the Sacred Ground, he would make an Yingtian Realm family ancestor say such words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key is Ji You is still very young, far from his own lifespan’s limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone here assumed his enlightenment talent was exhausted, trapped in the dreaded bottleneck, unable to break through—otherwise he wouldn’t remain stuck at this realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, he could still refine over long years and eventually advance further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, strictly speaking, the Liu ancestor’s true value was actually slightly less than Ji You’s—their difference was merely a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Hanyue’s close female friends were also in the courtyard, and after hearing this, they exchanged glances for a long while, then cautiously turned to look at the Qiu family’s young lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Hanyue turned her gaze as well, her expression cold as she stared at them, causing her friends to avert their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who avoided her gaze most was Sheng Xiyu—the very one who had advised Qiu Hanyue to personally reject the marriage proposal to Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they first heard Qiu Hanyue was to be betrothed to a disciple from Fengzhou’s Heavenly Book Academy, they had indeed laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their laughter carried no malice, but mockery was present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, at the time, they had never heard of Ji You, nor even known such a surname existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in their circle, Qiu Hanyue was to be married into a remote backwater, becoming a concubine to a country bumpkin—and Qiu Hanyue herself had believed this too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, hearing the whispers around them, recalling last night’s sword qi piercing the heavens as demonic breeds ravaged the land, and remembering the Liu ancestor’s words, they realized that when the He family had proposed the match, it was the Qiu family who had been the one climbing upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too close—it nearly cost her a good life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Hanyue now withdrew her gaze, clearly understanding exactly what sort of man she had almost married.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3254,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","018b2b7ad700430313ab2823211463caa958dcbc213fafb0acb5ee28aa1040e8","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-256","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-254",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]