THE GEOMANCER'S RETURN(Shattered Heavens: Book 2)
Only silence remained in the ruins.
Li Mingzhen stood on scorched earth, gazing up at the sky as it slowly knitted itself back together. The heavenly tribulation that had just torn reality apart had dissipated, leaving only the lingering scent of ozone in the air and tremors still echoing through his body.
He looked down at his hands.
The skin was unmarred, without a single scar. Yet he could feel it—every cell had been restructured, every meridian baptized by lightning, every trace of true essence refined to an almost impossible purity.
The tribulation was complete.
He was now a true immortal. Beyond death, beyond time, beyond all mortal constraints of this world.
But why... did his heart feel empty?
Li Mingzhen closed his eyes.
Memories surged like a tide:
Chen Yuxin's face in the ruins of the Golden Triangle, using her body to shield their daughter from a blade.
Li Tianyue's hand at seventy-five years old, withered as autumn leaves, grasping his eternally young fingers as she whispered: "I always knew you were there."
Two graves side by side on the mountain. One woman died at thirty-eight, another at seventy-five.
And he, standing between those graves, still appearing thirty-eight on the outside, but having died countless times within.
"Two lives lived, like a fleeting dream," he murmured. "But this dream... I didn't want to wake from."
Yet he had awakened.
Because Heaven's Way cared nothing for his desires.
"So. You've finally crossed the tribulation."
The voice came suddenly from behind.
Li Mingzhen spun around, hands instinctively gathering true essence—
Then froze.
Standing behind him was an old beggar.
Tattered clothes, a dirt-smudged face, a bamboo staff in hand, and a cloth sack on his back, patched countless times. He looked like someone who'd just crawled out from under a bridge.
But Li Mingzhen's spiritual sense was screaming warnings.
This "beggar"... had no aura.
No—that wasn't quite right.
It wasn't that he had no aura, but that his presence was so profound, so deep, that Li Mingzhen's perception couldn't find the bottom like facing a bottomless abyss where you dropped a stone but never heard it land.
This sensation...
Li Mingzhen's heart stirred.
It was exactly like the first time he'd encountered that dying old man in the mountain cave—Master Qingxu.
"Who are you?" Li Mingzhen asked warily, though his voice had lost some of its hostility.
The beggar grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "You can call me the Beggar Immortal. Not the most elegant name, I'll admit, but... fitting enough."
He found a relatively intact stone among the rubble and sat down with a thump, patting the space beside him. "Don't just stand there. Sit. We need to talk."
Li Mingzhen hesitated, then sat.
For reasons he couldn't explain, this beggar inspired a strange sense of trust.
"Talk about what?"
"About why you crossed the tribulation." The beggar pulled a wine gourd from his robe and took several long gulps. "You think becoming an immortal is the end?"
Li Mingzhen frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." The beggar wiped his mouth. "You think that crossing the tribulation, becoming a true immortal, means you can now roam freely between heaven and earth, living forever without a care?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Yes and no." The beggar pointed at the sky. "You've certainly transcended mortality. You won't age, won't die, and can live for thousands or tens of thousands of years. But at the same time..."
He paused.
"You've also lost the right to rest."
Li Mingzhen fell silent.
He remembered Master Qingxu's words: Heaven and Earth are heartless; they treat all things as straw dogs.
He remembered his own understanding at the end of the first volume: becoming an immortal wasn't a reward, but a responsibility. Eternal solitude. Endless burden.
The beggar watched him. "I see you understand. Good. Saves me the trouble."
He stood, pointing his bamboo staff at the ground beneath their feet.
"Do you know what this place once was?"
Li Mingzhen looked around.
Ruins. Nothing but ruins.
Broken jade pillars, collapsed crystal domes, shattered formations, and fragments of magical artifacts scattered everywhere. This had clearly once been some magnificent structure—a palace? A temple? An immortal's dwelling?
But now only ash and memory remained.
"No idea," Li Mingzhen said honestly.
"This place," the beggar said slowly, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia, "is the site of the Ancient Celestial Palace."
Li Mingzhen's heart skipped.
"Eight hundred years ago, I spent some time here myself. Back then... it still had some semblance of its former glory."
Eight hundred years ago?
Li Mingzhen's pupils contracted slightly.
That timeframe... matched Master Qingxu's lifespan exactly!
He stared at the beggar, but the old man had already turned away, continuing:
"Ten thousand years ago, this was the pinnacle of cultivation civilization. Thousands upon thousands of cultivators, hundreds of immortals, more than a dozen beings approaching divinity. They cultivated here, researched, explored the mysteries of heaven and earth."
The beggar's voice grew heavy.
"Then... everything was destroyed."
"What happened?" Li Mingzhen asked.
"The dragon veins broke."
Li Mingzhen went still.
"Dragon veins?"
"Yes." The beggar used his staff to sketch a rough map in the dirt—the outline of China. "Do you know what dragon veins are?"
"Some," Li Mingzhen said. "Feng shui theory holds that the earth has qi channels, like meridians in the human body. China has three main dragon veins—Northern, Central, and Southern Dragons—all originating from the Kunlun Mountains."
"Correct." The beggar nodded, studying him with an appraising gaze. "Seems your master taught you well."
Li Mingzhen's heart jolted.
Master?
He'd never mentioned Qingxu...
"But dragon veins aren't merely a 'feng shui concept,'" the beggar continued, as if he'd said nothing unusual. "They're real. They're the core circulatory system for spiritual qi on Earth."
He drew three winding lines on the map.
"When the dragon veins are healthy, heaven and earth's spiritual qi is abundant, and cultivation is possible. When they're damaged, spiritual qi withers, and cultivation declines."
Li Mingzhen's breathing slowed.
He recalled a section of Qingxu's memories—vague, deliberately obscured—about "why the Age of Cultivation ended." He'd assumed it was due to some great war, or a shift in Heaven's Way.
But it was the dragon veins breaking?
"Ten thousand years ago," the beggar continued, "there was a war. I won't bore you with the specifics—basically, a bunch of fools fighting over resources, power, territory."
His tone dripped with contempt.
"The scale of that war exceeded anything you can imagine. Nascent Soul cultivators died like cannon fodder. Deity Transformation masters dueled in the heavens. Immortals tore open space itself to use as weapons. The entire East Asian continent trembled."
Li Mingzhen could picture it.
He'd witnessed something similar once—the destructive power he himself had unleashed in the Golden Triangle had leveled an entire valley.
If hundreds or thousands of beings like him had been fighting...
"The result," the beggar said, "was that the dragon veins broke."
"All three main dragon veins were severely injured. Especially the Central Dragon—some madman used a forbidden technique and directly shattered its core node."
Li Mingzhen inhaled sharply.
"After that, heaven and earth's spiritual qi began to decline. Not quickly, but irreversibly. Like a person whose artery has been severed—the blood still flows, but less and less."
"The cultivators realized something was wrong and tried to repair the dragon veins. But it was too late. The damage was too severe, the energy required too immense, and spiritual qi was rapidly depleting."
"In the end," the beggar's voice dropped, "cultivation civilization collapsed. The immortals either ascended and left, retreated into pocket dimensions, or reincarnated to cultivate anew. This Celestial Palace was abandoned. Thousands of years of wind and rain reduced it to what you see now."
Li Mingzhen gazed at the ruins beneath his feet, suddenly feeling a profound desolation.
A once-glorious civilization, now reduced to rubble and legend.
"So..." he said slowly, "the modern world's sparse spiritual qi, the difficulty of cultivation—it's all because the dragon veins broke?"
"Correct."
"Can they... can the dragon veins be repaired?"
The beggar raised his head, looking directly into Li Mingzhen's eyes.
"Yes. But it requires someone to go back in time."
Li Mingzhen's heart stopped for a beat.
"Go back in time?"
"Yes." The beggar stood. "The damage to the dragon veins was gradual. Broken ten thousand years ago, but the accelerated collapse truly began in the modern era."
"Starting in 1998, humanity entered the peak of industrialization, especially in China. Frenzied mining, dam construction, highway building, skyscraper erection. Every project unknowingly damaged the dragon veins."
"By 2008, a critical node of the Central Dragon completely ruptured—you remember that Sichuan earthquake, don't you?"
Li Mingzhen's expression changed.
Of course, he remembered.
That was the moment he first met Qingxu.
That was the beginning of his cultivation journey.
"That wasn't an ordinary earthquake," the beggar said. "It was a symptom of the dragon vein rupturing. Like when a person's spine breaks and their whole body convulses."
"From 2008 to 2088, over those eighty years, the dragon veins broke seven more nodes. Now the entire system is on the verge of total collapse."
He jabbed his staff hard against the ground.
"Without repair, the dragon veins will die completely within fifty years. When that happens, not only will cultivation become impossible, but Earth's entire geology, climate, and ecology will collapse."
"Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, extreme weather... human civilization might not survive another century."
Li Mingzhen felt his spine go cold.
"You're saying... the world will end?"
"Yes." The beggar's voice was calm. "And you, as a newly ascended true immortal, have a responsibility to prevent it."
Li Mingzhen was silent for a long time.
Then he asked: "Why me?"
"Because you have the ability."
"There are many stronger than me."
"But they're all dead, ascended, or no longer care." The beggar's gaze grew profound. "While you... You still care. Because you've loved. Because you've lost. Because you know there are things in this world worth protecting."
He paused, then said softly: "Loss is the greatest teacher for cultivators. It took me eight hundred years to understand that."
Eight hundred years!
Li Mingzhen's pulse quickened.
Eight hundred years ago!
The number matched Master Qingxu's lifespan exactly!
He stared at the beggar, but the old man simply smiled faintly, not explaining.
Li Mingzhen took a deep breath, suppressing his shock.
"How do I repair the dragon veins?" he asked.
"Go back to 1998."
"How?"
"I'll send you back." The beggar pointed at the still-healing rift in the sky—the spacetime tear left by the tribulation lightning. "The wound left by heavenly tribulation can briefly connect different points in time. I can use it to send you back ninety years."
"But there's a price."
Li Mingzhen asked: "What price?"
"You'll lose most of your cultivation." The beggar's expression grew serious. "From peak Nascent Soul, you'll fall to early Foundation Establishment. Moreover, your body will be sealed by a 'Heavenly Lock'—no matter how you cultivate, you won't be able to break through Foundation Establishment."
Li Mingzhen frowned. "Why?"
"Because the laws of time don't permit 'the same person' to exist in the same timeline with two high-cultivation versions. That would create a paradox and be erased by Heaven's Way."
The beggar looked at him with a strange expression as he said this: "I once explained this principle to a young man. Though... that time it was about a different matter."
Li Mingzhen froze.
That tone, that look...
Too much like his master.
Years ago in that cave, his master had looked at him the same way, transmitting knowledge, answering questions.
But hadn't his master already...
"So the version of you that goes back can only retain memories and knowledge, but your cultivation must return to zero," the beggar said, interrupting his thoughts.
Li Mingzhen pondered.
Losing his cultivation... meant he could no longer fight as he once had. Couldn't single-handedly destroy an army. Couldn't solve problems with brute force.
He would have to use wisdom.
Use the eight hundred years of knowledge Qingxu had transmitted to him.
Use feng shui, divination, formations, and medicine—arts that didn't require high cultivation but demanded deep understanding.
"I understand," Li Mingzhen said. "What must I do when I go back?"
"Three things." The beggar held up three fingers.
"First, find the three Dragon Pearls. They're the core energy sources of the dragon veins, and the keys to repairing them."
"Second, repair the Nine Great Dragon Vein Acupoints. They're like the Governing and Conception Vessels in the human body—critical nodes in the dragon vein circulation."
"Third, prevent key destructive events from 2008 onward. Certain projects, certain developments will deal fatal damage to the dragon veins. You must stop them."
Li Mingzhen nodded.
Then he asked the most crucial question:
"If I go back to 1998... will I meet Yuxin again?"
The beggar fell silent.
He looked at Li Mingzhen with complex emotions in his eyes.
"Yes."
"Will she still... die?"
The beggar sighed.
"Li Mingzhen, I must tell you a harsh truth: some things are fixed by Heaven's mandate. The will of Heaven is difficult to defy. No matter how hard you try, you cannot change them."
"Is Chen Yuxin's death fixed by Heaven's mandate?"
"...I cannot tell you."
Li Mingzhen's fists clenched.
"Why not?"
"Because if I tell you 'she will definitely die,' you might give up trying. If I tell you 'she can live,' you might do anything, even destroy the entire timeline."
The beggar stepped closer, speaking earnestly:
"I can only tell you this: do your best. Use your wisdom, your knowledge, your love to change what can be changed. As for what cannot be changed... learn to accept it."
"This is the hardest lesson for any cultivator—not defeating enemies, but accepting powerlessness."
Li Mingzhen closed his eyes.
He remembered Chen Yuxin's dying words: "Don't let grief turn you into a monster. Promise me you'll stay the man I fell in love with."
He remembered Li Tianyue's words: "Don't let my death break you as Mama's did."
They'd both wanted him to learn to let go.
But... could he?
"I'll go," Li Mingzhen said, opening his eyes, his voice firm. "Whatever the outcome, I have to try."
The beggar smiled.
"Good. Then let's begin."
He raised his bamboo staff, pointing at the rift in the sky.
The tear began to widen, emitting a low hum.
"Remember," the beggar said, "time has a price. Everything you change will create ripple effects. Some will be beneficial. Others... potentially catastrophic."
"So act carefully. Use your wisdom, not impulse."
Li Mingzhen nodded.
He took a deep breath and walked toward the rift.
Just before stepping through, he turned back:
"Can I ask one last question?"
"Speak."
"Who... are you really?"
The beggar smiled, his expression enigmatic.
"I told you—when you complete your mission, you'll know naturally."
He paused, then added:
"Though if you're truly curious... consider where your master went after he ascended."
Li Mingzhen's pupils constricted.
Master?
After Qingxu ascended...
Could it be...
"You—"
But the beggar had already waved his hand. The spacetime rift instantly swallowed Li Mingzhen.
In the final moment before being consumed, Li Mingzhen thought he heard words carried on the wind:
"Heaven and Earth are heartless; they treat all things as straw dogs... Do you truly understand that now?"
Those were the first words Master Qingxu had ever spoken to him.
Li Mingzhen plunged into the spacetime rift.
The world before him began to twist, spin, shatter—
He saw countless images flash past:
The ruins of 2088.
Li Tianyue's smile on her deathbed in 2083.
Chen Yuxin's final glance in the Golden Triangle in 2018.
The ten thousand birds descended when Li Tianyue was born in 2013.
The rubble of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.
The images accelerated, growing blurred—
Until everything dissolved into darkness.
When Li Mingzhen opened his eyes again, he was lying on a hard wooden bed.
Overhead: a rusted tin roof.
In his ears: the cacophony of a construction site—power drills, hammers, workers shouting.
He sat up, looking at his hands.
Young, smooth, without a trace of time's passage.
An eighteen-year-old body.
He closed his eyes, sensing his dantian.
Only the faint true essence of early Foundation Establishment.
His Nascent Soul power had vanished.
He opened his eyes and looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.
July 15, 1998.
Li Mingzhen took a deep breath.
The beggar's final words echoed in his mind:
"Consider where your master went after he ascended..."
"Heaven and Earth are heartless... Do you truly understand that now?"
If the beggar was truly his master...
Then why had his master become this?
What had he experienced after ascending?
Why appear as a "beggar"?
Countless questions surged up.
But now wasn't the time to ponder them.
"It begins."
He murmured.
"This time, I won't let you down."
"Master... Yuxin... Tianyue."
End of Chapter 1