I want to sincerely thank all of you who have been following the story and helped push it to Top 9. Seriously, this wouldn't be possible without your support, comments, reads, and Power Stones. If we keep up this insane pace, I'll start posting daily chapters, every day from Monday to Friday (with the exception of Saturday and Sunday, because even the author needs to survive 😅).
Also, here's the goal: once we hit the next support milestone, I'll release an extra chapter as a thank-you.
The goals will be announced tomorrow.
Once again, thank you all for being here. Let's go even further. 🚀🔥
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Divine Hall of Sun and Moon, Profound Sky Continent.
In the extreme north of the Profound Sky Continent, where mountains rose like pillars of the world itself and rivers flowed like eternal veins of the earth, stood the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon. As one of the Four Sacred Grounds of the continent, its territory was vast beyond imagination, extending across a colossal mountain range constantly bathed in an almost perpetual sunlight.
Imposing peaks intertwined like sleeping dragons, their silhouettes cutting the sky in majestic and unchanging lines. Among these mountains, enormous natural and artificial platforms supported grandiose palaces made of white jade and gleaming gold, reflecting the sunlight as if they were fragments of fallen stars. The architecture was ancient and solemn, carrying an aura of absolute authority and unquestionable sanctity.
Ethereal clouds floated between the peaks, enveloping the buildings, while currents of heaven and earth energy coursed through the air like invisible tides. It was a place where heaven and earth seemed closer, where day and night coexisted in a delicate balance. Disciples trained in various formations scattered across the platforms. Some practiced profound arts, while others merely exchanged friendly blows. Occasional laughter, instructional voices, and the rhythmic sound of profound energy cutting through the air composed a scene of prosperity...
It was the perfect image of one of the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent...
Then—
Everything changed in an instant.
The clear sky was swallowed.
Black clouds surged from all directions, swirling violently like a colossal vortex. The sun vanished as if it had never existed, and the light was replaced by a suffocating crimson hue. The wind ceased abruptly, as if the world itself held its breath.
The first to sense that something was wrong was an elder overseeing the training.
His face paled.
"W... what is this...?"
Before anyone could respond, the sky tore open.
A gigantic palm, made entirely of red lightning, descended slowly from the heavens.
Lightning snaked along its contours like maddened dragons, while blood-red flames burned intertwined with the electricity, not scorching the air, but existence itself. That palm was so vast that it covered the entire firmament. There were no visible edges. No end. It was as if the heavens themselves had transformed into a divine hand about to crush the world.
That terrifying sight was enough to make anyone's legs buckle under the weight of absolute fear. It was like staring at the sky collapsing upon oneself, an oppressive sensation of insignificance, of total despair.
There was nowhere to run.
Nothing to do.
In the face of that overwhelming force, all that remained was the cruel certainty that death was inevitable, approaching in a slow and merciless manner, crushing not just the body, but the will as well.
Panic exploded.
"Heavens!!"
"Run!!"
"Is it an enemy attack?!"
Disciples ran in all directions, flying desperately out of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon's territory. However, the moment the fastest ones reached the border, they all stopped abruptly, overcome by shock and dread, unable to cross it.
The space around the entire territory had been completely sealed.
Despair fell like an icy tide.
Some fell to their knees.
Others screamed the names of masters and elders.
Some simply stood paralyzed, unable to look away from that palm approaching slowly, relentlessly.
At that instant—
A figure appeared in the sky. Tall. Simple white robes, without luxurious adornments. No dominant aura escaped from his body. His face was ordinary, so ordinary that it could get lost in a crowd. There were no striking features, no extraordinary beauty, nor ugliness. But his eyes possessed an indescribable depth...
That man floated calmly above the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon; he was Ye Meixie, also known as the Heavenly Monarch, the supreme leader of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon. A practitioner at the Tenth Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, someone who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Profound Sky Continent...
And yet...
The instant he perceived that palm, his heart sank violently. Absolute death. There was no doubt about it. What kind of enemy had his Sacred Ground provoked...? Certainly, someone from the legendary Divine Profound Realm; a Profound God! And, to make matters worse, a master of formations!
The space around them was completely sealed. A formation of such profound and complex level that even he, with all his understanding and sensitivity, only noticed its existence when it was already too late. The laws of space had been distorted, overlaid, and locked onto one another, forming a perfect prison, without gaps, without escape routes.
Sweat ran down his back.
He raised his head, staring at the crimson-tinged heavens.
"What... what wrong has the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon committed to provoke such a supreme senior?!" His voice echoed, forcibly firm, but laden with an impossible-to-hide tension.
In the next instant—
A gentle laughter echoed from the sky.
It didn't come from the palm.
It came from everywhere.
A calm, polite laughter... almost pleasant.
"You can blame your son."
Ye Meixie's heart nearly stopped.
In the main courtyard, among panicking disciples and elders, a young man trembled.
Ye Xinghan.
The Young Master of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon. Beautiful as a painting. Sharp eyebrows like swords, eyes bright as stars, face white as refined jade. The thin, slanted eyebrows extended deeply into the hairline, giving him a naturally arrogant and seductive appearance. Normally, that face always carried an obscene, lascivious smile, a gaze that stripped women with shamelessness.
Now—
His face was distorted.
Eyes wide.
Lips trembling.
Fear had erased any trace of arrogance.
He looked at the sky... and his body trembled so much that he could barely stand. A hot liquid trickled between his legs, staining the white robes of the Hall...
Nearly pissing himself in terror.
The gentle voice continued, clear as a divine sentence.
"He tried to capture my wife."
Absolute silence.
The words fell like invisible hammers.
Ye Meixie's eyes widened. He turned his head toward his son, his mind blank for an instant.
Before he could say anything—
Before he could yell at his stupid son—
Before he could beg—
The palm descended.
The world collapsed.
Red lightning exploded like furious suns, and blood flames enveloped everything. Jade palaces were reduced to nothing before even crumbling. Entire mountains vanished like dust carried by the wind. Millennial formations, absolute defenses, arrays... everything was annihilated in a single instant.
The Divine Hall of Sun and Moon ceased to exist.
When the crimson light finally dissipated, what remained was only a colossal void, a crater so vast that it seemed as if a piece of the world had been torn from the map of the Profound Sky Continent.
The sky slowly returned to normal.
The sun reappeared.
The clouds dispersed.
As if nothing had happened.
But one of the Four Sacred Grounds had been erased from existence forever.
Above the slowly dissipating clouds, two figures floated in silence.
Ren Zu was in front, his black robes rippling gently with the residual air currents that still carried traces of the destruction caused by his earlier attack.
Below them, where one of the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent had once existed, there was only a colossal void; mountains, palaces, formations, disciples... everything had been erased without a trace, as if it had never existed.
Ren Zu's pupils rested on that absolute destruction.
The indifference in his eyes was so pure that it became more terrifying than the annihilation itself. To him, that was nothing more than the natural outcome for those who dared to challenge him. Were there innocent profound practitioners in the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon? Yes, very likely. And he wasn't hypocritical enough to say that those "innocents" should blame their own decision to join their enemies... but that didn't mean he cared about them. In fact, he didn't care at all about having killed them.
Any organization transmits its moral values and rules, constantly brainwashing. Those who wish to surpass humanity's achievements need to break free from this mental restriction. Unfortunately, most people remain trapped in it for life, using that same prison as fuel to move forward and, ironically, flaunting it as a symbol of pride...
What he meant by that was simple: all the disciples of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon had enjoyed the benefits of the Sacred Ground. They lived under its protection, its authority, and its privileges. Thus, nothing was more natural than facing destruction alongside the Hall that had granted them everything.
That was loyalty, right?
Of course... he was being ironic.
No longer being "ironic"...
To him, the so-called "innocents" who lived there were not isolated individuals, but parts sustained by that structure. They benefited directly or indirectly from the power of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon, lived under its protection, its prestige, and its supremacy. Even those who had never committed a sin with their own hands still existed within an ecosystem that inevitably produced repulsive young masters like Ye Xinghan.
Of course, he didn't see himself as a moral judge to evaluate all that so deeply.
He was a villain.
And it was precisely because of that that the existence of "innocents" or "sinners" made no difference at all. Those who got in his way or tried to harm him or those he loved had only one fate: death. He didn't try to mask his actions as justice, nor did he seek noble justifications. It was purely selfish, and he saw no need to pretend otherwise.
As for those who thought his actions were despicable; those fools are everywhere, restrained by emotions and morality; they deserve to be stupidly manipulated by rules. The saddest part is that, when they see others without restrictions, they attack and criticize, trying to impose that morality on people, not allowing others to have more freedom than they do. In that process, they even enjoy that ridiculous moral superiority and that full happiness...
Ah, it was worth noting one thing.
Before destroying the Sacred Ground, he had completely looted its treasures and emptied the Profound Arts Pavilion, all through his manipulation of space. Resources, techniques, heritages... nothing of value had been left behind...
Only after that did he destroy the place.
Obviously, the "palm that covered the heavens" that had descended moments earlier was not a casual attack.
That was the Fourth Stage of his personal profound art: [Nine Star Thunder King Art – Karmic Heaven Punishing Palm]. A technique that fused extreme lightning with the Divine Flames of the Vermilion Bird, creating a power of absolute punitive nature. He had made this technique specifically to deal with practitioners who cultivated the diabolic energy of darkness. It wasn't an attack created simply to kill enemies. It was a technique made to erase "sins" from the world itself.
While Ren Zu gazed at the destruction with indifference, beside him, Xia Qingyue observed the void left behind. The cold wind gently stirred her white robes, and the veil still covered part of her face, but her eyes held a certain emotional turmoil; truly, all profound practitioners below the Divine Profound Realm were ants waiting to be crushed.
Her husband was incredible!
Although she could have destroyed the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon on her own, she doubted she could do it so casually...
Ren Zu turned his head slightly and spoke.
"It's over." His tone was calm, almost casual: "You don't need to worry about that young master anymore, Qingyue. Even though you possess the power to protect yourself and handle this situation on your own now, so I think you never had that concern in your heart... Not like the Frozen Cloud Asgard that thought it was the end foretold by their ancestors. Well, the good news is that the calamity has been avoided..."
Xia Qingyue turned her gaze from the void and looked at him. Her limpid eyes met his, and she nodded slightly.
"...Even if Qingyue could resolve this situation on her own, she wouldn't have the experience of feeling so deeply protected by someone. Knowing that her husband is willing to fight against the supreme powers of the Profound Sky Continent for Qingyue makes her extremely happy. Thank you, husband."
Her voice sounded soft as silk, laden with a deep emotion that warmed his heart. Knowing that he had destroyed an entire Sacred Ground for her, without the slightest hesitation, made her chest tighten in a strange and intense way. She truly had been fortunate to meet him. That absolute dedication to protecting those he considered important, even if it meant burning the entire world, was impossible to ignore. How could one not love a man like that? She didn't blame her sisters from Frozen Cloud Asgard, nor the Sect Master, nor her own master, for falling in love with him. In the face of someone like that... it seemed almost inevitable...
Ren Zu shook his head slightly, his smile gaining a touch of tenderness. He grasped her waist from the side with a firm hand, feeling the delicate and slender curve beneath the robe, pulling her closer with a gentle possessiveness that made her gasp softly.
With his other hand, he lifted her delicate chin, his long fingers brushing her skin as soft as jade, carefully removing the veil to reveal that enchanting face: smooth cheeks like immaculate silk, subtle dimples that echoed ancient poetry, soft and rosy lips like perfect petals, clear eyes that seemed like still springs, gathering a transcendental beauty that eclipsed the entire world.
His eyes met hers, deep as always.
He said softly.
"You don't need to thank me. This is just natural." His thumb lightly brushed the line of her chin: "I am your husband. I would never allow you to be in danger."
Before Xia Qingyue could respond, he leaned slightly forward and gently kissed her perfect lips, a tender and deep touch that made her close her eyes, the world around them disappearing as she surrendered to the kiss...
Their lips parted slowly.
Xia Qingyue opened her eyes slowly, still feeling his warmth, while Ren Zu observed her with the same absolute calm he had shown in the face of a Sacred Ground's destruction... but now softened by something more intimate.
He rested his forehead against hers for a brief instant, as if etching that moment into his memory.
Then, he spoke.
"Qingyue... return to Frozen Cloud Asgard."
She blinked slightly, surprised only for an instant, before hearing the rest.
"I have some things to take care of." His tone remained calm, firm, as always. "It won't take long. One or two days, at most. When I'm done, I'll come for you personally."
The cold wind blew between them, making her robes ripple gently. Xia Qingyue remained silent for a moment, her clear eyes fixed on his face, as if trying to read something beyond the words. A part of her was curious about what he was going to do; perhaps he wanted to find his blood family? In any case, she trusted him more than anyone else.
Still, there was concern in her limpid pupils.
"Spend some time with your master. With your companions as well." Ren Zu noticed her concern, but instead of saying anything, he smiled crookedly, a rare and genuine smile: "After I take you with me... this kind of tranquility will become a rare luxury."
She immediately understood what he meant.
When Ren Zu took her away, her life would change completely.
Xia Qingyue took a deep breath.
Then nodded again.
"Qingyue understands..." She raised her gaze to him, her eyes shining with a concern she didn't try to hide: "I'll try to enjoy the last days. But... husband... You take care as well."
Ren Zu stared into those eyes for an instant longer than necessary. He raised his hand and lightly touched the side of her face, his warm fingers contrasting with the cool softness of her skin...
"Don't worry." His voice was low, firm. "There is nothing in this world that can stop me."
She smiled faintly, though the concern remained in her eyes.
"I know." She paused for an instant. "... but that doesn't mean Qingyue doesn't feel worried."
Ren Zu let out a small amused sigh and leaned in to place one last soft kiss on her forehead.
Then, he stepped back, making a gesture with his hand and "tearing space" to send Xia Qingyue away. He had only brought her originally because he wanted her to witness the destruction of the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon to tell Frozen Cloud Asgard; afterward, he planned to do some other things...
The space around Xia Qingyue rippled gently, a clean and precise distortion. Before disappearing, she cast one last look at him, etching that solitary figure against the restored sky of the Profound Sky Continent.
In the next instant, she was gone.
Silence returned.
Ren Zu remained there, floating above the void left by the Divine Hall of Sun and Moon.
The wind blew.
And, slowly, a cold and almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.
"Now..." He murmured to himself: "There are other scores to settle."
The space around him folded.
And his figure disappeared, as if it had never existed.
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