———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
The Heavenly Dao was as shocked as he was infuriated. Though this physical shell was merely a temporary vessel, being struck out of it by a mere mortal had thoroughly enraged him.
He understood now, back in the Eightfold Mountains, Chao Jinsui hadn't used her full strength at all! Even while being beaten until she coughed up blood, she had endured, using that very suffering to probe his limits. He had thought it was a one-sided slaughter, but she had told him with her actions: In your dreams.
Such mental fortitude made the Heavenly Dao wary, yet he felt a flicker of relief: Fortunately, she is only a hundred years old. She has not yet fully come into her own.
However, just as he prepared to strike, he sensed a powerful presence manifesting between heaven and earth. A terrifying pressure emerged, one that did not lose an inch to his own!
It was the Demon God!
He immediately tried to vanish, but in the next second, he realized something was wrong: the Demon God had completely locked down this stretch of the world.
The Heavenly Dao was stunned. He never imagined that while he was trying to lure Chao Jinsui into a trap, she was using herself as bait to trap him.
How did she dare?!
He should have noticed the anomaly, but she had been knocked down and bloodied countless times without ever reaching out to the outside world. That silence had lulled him into a false sense of security.
He sneered, "What a formidable mind."
The green smoke coalesced into a human form, still a man in white, but looking far older than the vessel he had possessed on the mountain.
The Demon God's red-gold eyes were fixed solely on the injuries on Chao Jinsui’s body. She looked back at him and smiled, though she was covered in dirt and looked utterly bedraggled.
The Demon God’s only thought was: She is hurt.
The Heavenly Dao spoke slowly. "Demon God, this is a matter between Heavenly Daos. Why must you interfere?"
The Demon God's pupils did not flicker. He turned his gaze toward the man in white. At that moment, a wave of intense loathing surged in his heart. If the ancient Heavenly Dao was a sun-bird in his memory, then this current one looked like a plucked sun-bird crawling on the ground.
A murderous intent, more potent than any he had felt before, erupted within him.
"A god has no desires," the Heavenly Dao continued. "Do you truly wallow in such mundane affection? If you cannot sever your emotional ties by the time you return to your seat, how will you ever return to the Nine Heavens?"
The moment the words fell, the Demon God moved. In a flash, he was in front of the Heavenly Dao. He seized him by the collar and, with a thunderous boom, slammed him into a mountain. The mountainside cracked instantly.
Chao Jinsui finally understood why the Demon God used no sword or weapon. He wasn't like this Heavenly Dao, posing with peach-wood branches, a true god's fight was simply grabbing the opponent and smashing them into a peak.
To the sound of earth-shaking tremors, one mountain collapsed, only for the Demon God to grab him again and smash him into another. The Heavenly Dao tried to speak, but he was being pounded against the rock repeatedly. His calm, transcendent facade vanished as he was embedded into the cliffside by sheer brute force.
"Demon God!" the Heavenly Dao roared in fury after the relentless battering. "You have not yet returned to your divine seat! Your body is still that of a mortal!"
The Demon God’s red-gold eyes remained cold. "Bird-man," he said calmly. "You are right."
Bird-man? The Heavenly Dao was stunned.
"But, Bird-man," the Demon God continued. "You are very weak right now."
CLANG!
The Heavenly Dao was slammed into yet another mountain. The area around Jade Sword Mountain was a continuous range, perfect for such a brutal display. Realizing that a human form was a disadvantage, the Heavenly Dao dissolved into a wisp of green smoke to flee.
But the murderous Demon God also transformed into black mist, seizing the clear qi and swinging it like a sledgehammer against the peaks. Black and white clashed in the sky, a chaotic sequence of thuds and crashes.
The Demon God was a god of simple, violent destruction. In ancient times, the other gods hated fighting him because he gave no face; he would simply grab them and bash them against scenery. He was a god of slaughter with a combat value that defied logic.
High-level fighting often required the simplest methods. This "battle of gods" had no flashy sword moves or complex techniques for onlookers to study. It was just a pair of celestial demolition crews.
The sword cultivators hoping to learn something: "..."
Chao Jinsui watched the brawl intently. In a sense, neither of them were "gods" yet, they were "candidate gods." The Demon God was restricted by his mortal vessel, and the Heavenly Dao was at an all-time low, lacking legitimacy.
Between the two, the Heavenly Dao was clearly weaker than "Yanyan." This made him feel much more "human."
Seeing her distracted, the System assumed she was discouraged by the Heavenly Dao's power and chimed in:
[Host, do not be dejected. They are both halfway into the divine realm. It is normal that you cannot defeat them since you haven't ascended yet.]
Chao Jinsui snapped back to reality and smiled. "No, I'm not discouraged."
On the contrary, she was calculating her chances of victory. She looked down at her palm; the sensation of that full-power Frost Blade was still there. Like someone throwing a stone into water, she had finally gauged the depth.
If the Heavenly Dao were a truly omnipotent god, defeating him as a mortal would be a pipe dream. A true Heavenly Dao controls lightning, fate, the breath of mountains, and the rotation of the sun, realms unreachable by mortals. Could one truly slash through the god of universal rules?
But this Heavenly Dao was different. He was too old. He was bluffing. He was losing ground against a Demon God who hadn't even regained his throne. She could feel his frailty.
It was like a wolf pack with two kings. The young wolf king had seen the fatigue of the seemingly invincible old king and was beginning to show her teeth.
The biggest mistake the Heavenly Dao made was letting her see the possibility of "Slaying a God."
Her Frost Blade could currently only knock him out of a temporary vessel. What about when she reached the Deity Transformation stage? What about the sixth movement of the Kunlun Sword Manual, Universe Tremor?
She narrowed her eyes, a cold light flickering within them.
The battle below raged on. The sky darkened as thick thunderclouds gathered. With a roar, a massive bolt of purple lightning struck toward the Demon God. Though weakened, the Heavenly Dao still held a resonance with the world; he could still command the heavens.
Chao Jinsui watched closely. This was something a mortal truly could not do. It would be best if he died today, she thought. But she had a premonition, he had been the god of this world for ten thousand years. Would he fall so easily?
The Heavenly Dao was in a wretched state. The lightning temporarily stopped the Demon God from slamming him into walls, but it wasn't a permanent solution. The Demon God was too strong.
A faint golden light appeared on the Demon God's body. His eyes, devoid of emotion, watched the Heavenly Dao before he charged directly into the lightning, dragging his opponent out to continue the pummeling.
Suddenly, the Demon God froze. His pupils began to shift. Chao Jinsui sensed it too: demonic energy was rising in the air!
Yan Xueyi had used too much demonic power lately; he was on the verge of an outbreak. To be provoked with more demonic energy now was a recipe for disaster. Her face went cold as she saw the color of his eyes change from red-gold to a pitch-black abyss of killing intent. His pupils vanished, and hideous demonic markings crawled across his face.
This was what the Heavenly Dao meant by the Demon God being limited by a demonic body.
"Yanyan!"
The monstrous, demonic entity turned its head slowly at the familiar voice. He moved toward her, his actions sluggish as he tried to suppress the raging energy. She stepped forward and embraced the terrifying demon, and he grew slightly quieter. Golden chains appeared on his body, binding him tightly.
The Heavenly Dao crawled out of the ruins. He had been crushed and reformed countless times, and his form looked fractured. Yet, through the pain, he laughed. He looked at Chao Jinsui.
"Now, what will you do?"
The Demon God was incapacitated by his own power, a madman who couldn't tell friend from foe. Who was left to protect her? The Heavenly Dao’s grin widened. "You have potential, it's true. But there is a ten-thousand-year chasm between us."
One was a "god," the other a human. His smile was thick with mockery. "Fairness?"
To him, she was insignificantly young. "In this world," he sneered, "there is no such thing as fairness."
To hear such words from the "Heavenly Dao" was the height of irony.
Chao Jinsui spoke calmly. "For the God of Order to say such a thing... I suppose that is why I was born."
She leaned in and nuzzled the demon’s cheek. The hideous monster actually settled into a docile silence. The Heavenly Dao assumed she was merely pathetically pleading with the Demon God. He was about to mock her, what use was a madman who might snap her neck in a second?
Then he heard her whisper:
"Do you see that Heavenly Dao?"
A sudden, ominous dread washed over him.
"Good boy," she whispered softly. "Look. I hate him."
She reached out and personally unfastened the chains on the "mad dog."
The hollow, black eyes, devoid of any emotion, locked onto the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao was incredulous. How? How could a demon in the midst of a violent outbreak be so obedient? How does she dare treat the Demon God like a pet?
His instincts screamed at him to flee, but it was already too late.
Chao Jinsui turned away. Today, she had witnessed the power of two deities and glimpsed the realm of gods. She looked down at the crowds at the foot of Jade Sword Mountain, all staring up in wonder.
The wind caught her hair. Her straight silhouette was like a sword drawn from its sheath. She would become a god. She would not remain the person at the mountain's base looking up. She would not stay beneath his wings.
He was her "good boy," but while he protected her now, she hoped that next time, it would be her protecting him. She would reach the summit and stand beside him to watch the stars change.
But first, she had one more thing to settle. She had a theory she needed to verify. If it were true, it would be an unprecedented opportunity.
The Eightfold Mountains' illusion had been shattered, and the Jade Sword Assembly was halted. Before the Alliance could even investigate, the celestial battle had drawn everyone's attention. Thunder, earthquakes, and a crushing pressure filled the air. This was far beyond what a Nascent Soul cultivator could achieve.
In Jade Sword City, panic reigned. Yuan Jingtian, rushing down from the mountain, immediately issued orders. "Seal Jade Sword Mountain! No one enters or leaves! Gather all disciples and activate the mountain-protecting array!"
"The battle hasn't hit the mountain yet! Running out now is suicide! Get back here!"
The cultivators below were terrified. "Alliance Leader Yuan, is it a Deity Transformation cultivator?"
Yuan Jingtian didn't answer. He exchanged a wary look with Lei Zhen'e. "It is not a Deity Transformation cultivator," he said curtly before hurrying away.
It was something much more terrifying.
The three from the Xirang Sect were frantic because Chao Jinsui hadn't returned. They all thought of the young man who had led her away.
"My Lord is nearby," Hong Niang whispered. "Don't worry."
Chao Zhaoyue tried to suppress his anxiety, but the literal earth-shaking outside made it impossible. Just as he was about to send the others back and go searching, a small paper crane fluttered into his palm.
It bore a single line: Yuan Family South Mountain Villa. Come quickly.
The South Mountain Villa was one of Yuan Fengnian’s properties. Chao Taichu had been staying there. While the world outside was in chaos, this remote location remained deathly quiet.
In the ancestral hall, before a memorial tablet to the "Supreme Holy Teacher, the Heavenly Dao," stood an anxious Chao Taichu. He had thought the plan was flawless. If Chao Jinsui surrendered to the Heavenly Dao, she would forget everything and lose her desire to kill him. They could have had peace, as long as she didn't threaten his position, he could tolerate her. After all, she would just be a puppet.
He had waited with bated breath, but nothing happened. Chao Jinsui had never wavered.
He gnashed his teeth in hatred. Why couldn't she be weaker? Why wouldn't she just back down? Yet he knew her too well. She was the type to break rather than bend. It was almost expected that she wouldn't fall for it.
The moment the Demon God appeared, Chao Taichu realized with despair that the Heavenly Dao wouldn't be saving his life. He paced the villa frantically. The rain outside only added to his agitation.
Finally, he steeled himself and exhaled, calming down. Let the gods have their high-altitude battles; a common cultivator like him had his own ways to survive.
But as he turned to leave, Chao Jinsui appeared.
She looked exactly as she had when she left the Kunlun Sect. White robes like snow, cold almond eyes, and hair fluttering in the wind. She held the Kunlun Sword, rainwater dripping from the blade like fresh blood.
Chao Taichu flinched for a moment, then regained his composure.
"You've come?" he asked with a strange, predicted calm. He turned to the drifting incense smoke. "When you were born, I truly loved you."
A cute, snowy child who giggled when teased, who wouldn't like that? He sighed. "I thought then that you looked like your mother. You were going to be a beautiful girl. I even let you ride on my shoulders."
No one answered him. Only the torrential rain pounded outside.
"Pity it didn't last," he said.
Chao Jinsui followed his gaze to the Heavenly Dao's tablet.
"It told me two prophecies!" he barked, gripping the table. He turned to see her mocking smile.
If he hadn't tried to exterminate her, Chao Zhaoyue, and A-Pu, would they have reached this point?
Chao Taichu seemed enraged by her smile. "You think I didn't know what was happening?! No, I guessed it! For a hundred years, I thought about it every day!"
He wasn't stupid. How could he not see the trap?
"I knew!" he shouted. "But I had no way back!" From the moment he forced A-Pu off the cliff, there was no returning. He had woken up, but far too late. He had already chosen to break with his daughter and become a puppet of the prophecy. Even knowing it was a trap, he had to push forward. He just wanted to live!
He swept the Heavenly Dao tablet off the table, looking half-crazed. "It's all you! All you!" His eyes were bloodshot. He truly hated it, he could have had a daughter who was the future Heavenly Dao! She could have stayed at Kunlun and served him forever!
Chao Jinsui watched his breakdown with total indifference. "Do you think that by blaming the Heavenly Dao, you become innocent? That the Heavenly Dao is wrong for fooling you, and you are just a victim?"
She sneered. "Tell that to a three-year-old."
Chao Taichu’s fake fury vanished. He looked devastated. "I won't oppose you anymore. The Kunlun Sect, the Chao family... take them! If the prophecy was fake and you know it, why won't you let me go? I didn't treat you well, but did you ever lack for food or clothes at Kunlun?!"
***
Outside the wall, Chao Zhaoyue leaned against the stone, his expression complex. He listened in silence before finally letting out a cold laugh.
"When the Su family wanted my sword bone, you didn't hesitate to sacrifice me. When I was at the Heavenly Gift Manor, who ordered the closure of the Water-Cloud Heavens?"
He lowered his eyes to hide the hatred. "Father, I, the son, was never even in the prophecy. Chao Taichu, you love no one but yourself!"
The room went silent. After a long while, Chao Taichu’s voice drifted out. "At the very least, I am your biological father. Since the prophecy was false, why must it come to this?"
With one light sentence, he tried to brush away everything they had suffered. Because he sired them, they were supposed to endure his cruelty without complaint. "Biological father", the ultimate eraser of the past.
In the rain, Chao Zhaoyue’s knuckles turned white. Chao Jinsui almost laughed. He could kill A-Pu once; he could order a thousand arrows to shoot her in the snow; he could strip his son's bone without blinking. And now he asked: Why must it come to this?
Yes, biological father. In her previous life, she had accepted his bias and his use of her because of that one fact. She thought she was repaying the debt of her birth. And what did she get? Ten thousand arrows through the heart.
She wouldn't waste time recounting his sins like a hurt child. She was becoming the Heavenly Dao; she had a cold enough heart now.
She didn't curse or cry. She only spoke softly. "It wasn't fake."
Chao Taichu stammered, "What?"
She smiled. "The second prophecy was fabricated by him, but it wasn't fake. Have you forgotten? At that time, I hadn't been born. He was still the Heavenly Dao. Even if he was dying, he was the legitimate God of Order."
Chao Taichu didn't understand at first, but then his face went pale. He realized what the Heavenly Dao was, the god of the world's rules. Is a lie from such a being the same as a regular lie?
She knelt down to look him in the eye. "Guess what? When a prophecy comes from the mouth of the Heavenly Dao, whether it's made up or not... does it become the truth?"
Even the Heavenly Dao likely hadn't realized that by speaking the lie while he still held the authority of the world's rules, he had turned it into a law of the universe.
So, the "Parricide" was real. The "Attaining the Dao" was real.
Chao Jinsui wasn't sure how much power that prophecy held now, but she knew one thing: once Chao Taichu died, she would be one step closer to being the Heavenly Dao. Would she gain divine power? Control over lightning?
She didn't choose to cry or blame him to heal her old wounds. She chose a colder path. Like a ghost whispering in his ear, she said:
"Look. Your hundred-year nightmare is coming true."
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
.jpeg)
We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!
Show support by clicking on the support button below!❤️
0 Comments
What's on your mind...