The atmosphere around the river became deathly silent. Even the rustle of the wind and the flow of the water seemed to hold their breath while listening to this legend. Lu Changkong, Yu Ding, and the other cultivators listened with full attention. Stories regarding the Forbidden Realm had always been the greatest taboo in the cultivation world.
"That battle shattered the heavens and dried up the oceans of karma," Lian Ji continued. "In the end, the Great Emperor was defeated. His body was bound by six pillars of god-killing curses, and his lineage was severed from the blessings of the laws of the universe."
Lian Ji looked down, staring at Chu Xinghe, who was still half-sprawled on the ground. "Since then, there has been no dominant figure of a Great Emperor. Eras changed. The highest peak currently achievable by cultivators is merely becoming an entity equivalent to a Great King, or the Holy Kings who rule over various realms."
Yu Ding snorted softly, his voice raspy. "Then what does that obsolete history have to do with the mortal trash before us? If the lineage has already been destroyed, why does this physique still appear?"
"That is where the cruelty of the Holy Kings of the ancient era lies," Lian Ji replied with a cynical smile. "They knew that the laws of nature have cycles. The remnants of the Ancient Emperor Body essence cannot be fully annihilated. This physique will always reincarnate randomly. Therefore, the Holy Kings planted a seal upon this blood destiny."
Lian Ji raised her hand, pointing toward Chu Xinghe's chest where Su Wan had previously discovered the energy chains. "The dragon chain seal in his heart is a marker of the age. Every hundred thousand years, when the destiny of the universe rotates on its axis, this seal manifests in someone. The appearance of the Ancient Emperor Body in the world is an absolute sign that the Golden Age of cultivation has arrived. Heavenly treasures buried for millions of years will emerge. Unparalleled geniuses will be born in various sects, and the gates to higher laws of the Dao will be wide open."
Xie Kun's eyes sparkled wildly at the mention of the Golden Age. Lu Changkong also could not hide the flash of greed in his eyes. A Golden Age meant unlimited resources. This was an opportunity for their sects to rise and dominate the Eastern Heavenly Realm.
"But..." Han Dong dared to speak, his voice trembling as he held back tears. "What about Xinghe? What about our friend? If he brings that Golden Age, doesn't that mean he is a great blessing?"
Lian Ji turned toward Han Dong. A cold laugh escaped her red lips. "A blessing? For us, yes. For the entire cultivation world, he is the greatest gift from the heavens. But for himself?"
Lian Ji looked back at Chu Xinghe. Her gaze was condescending, like looking at an insect destined to be stepped on. "For this youth, he is merely a sacrificial victim. A scapegoat," Lian Ji said cruelly. "That cursed seal does indeed hold legendary physical potential, but the chains completely lock his heart and main meridians. He will never be able to gather essence. He will never be able to step onto the Path of the False Immortal. For his entire life, he is destined to be a crippled mortal."
Chu Xinghe gritted his teeth. The blood in his mouth tasted very fishy. He tried to rise, leaning on one knee, enduring the pain tearing through his chest. "His life, his blood, and his suffering are the keys used by the heavens to open the gates of the Golden Age," Lian Ji continued mercilessly. "According to history, not a single owner of the Ancient Emperor Body has been able to survive beyond mortality. Their bodies eventually shatter from within, eaten away by the curse of those chains over time. His existence here is purely as a sacrifice to open the way."
Those words fell like a giant sledgehammer, crushing the remains of hope within that emergency cave. Han Dong sobbed softly, hitting the rocky ground with his fist. Xin Yan cried loudly, mourning the fate of the friend who had protected them since the beginning of the disaster. Li Wei, Zhao Lin, and the others could only look down, pale with fear. They realized that this world possessed no justice whatsoever.
"A heaven's sacrifice," Yu Ding murmured while stroking his thin beard. "How beautiful and melodic, like a death song. No wonder primordial energy exploded in this forest moments before we arrived. The universe is reacting to his presence."
Xie Kun spat on the ground roughly. "Tch! I thought he was hiding some treasure. Turns out he himself is the treasure, but the kind of treasure that holds no market value for us. His body cannot be used for pills, cannot be used for training, and is destined to rot. Truly a pile of trash wrapped in a legend."
Lu Changkong sheathed his sword once more. The cold aura from his body slowly faded, replaced by indifference. "Lady Lian, your words are most striking. However, in the end, the conclusion remains the same. He is a mortal with no future. His presence has announced the Golden Age; his task is finished. The Heavenly Cloud Sect does not pick up junk."
Lu Changkong stared sharply at the two teenagers his sect had chosen, Lin Mei and Fang Hua. "Get on the boat. We return to the sect this very night."
Seeing the Heavenly Cloud Sect group preparing to leave, Xie Kun laughed hoarsely. He grabbed the collars of Han Dong and Zhao Lin with his large hands, lifting them like kittens. "Come on, boys, we're leaving. Don't look at that trash again if you don't want the same fate."
Elder Mei and Lian Ji stepped back onto the petals of the giant blood lotus. They took Xin Yan, who continued to cry and struggle. "Farewell, Ancient Emperor Body," Elder Mei said with a seductive laugh. "I hope the mountain tigers do not eat you before the curse in your heart explodes."
Elder Yu Ding entered his bronze chariot, taking Li Wei and Yun Hai with him. The flaming bone horses neighed loudly, spitting tongues of fire into the night air. Within minutes, the flying groups soared into the air. Various flashes of sword light, flying boats, giant eagles, and bronze chariots sped away, leaving behind the roar of the wind that slowly vanished into the silence of the night.
Chu Xinghe was left alone. He was still kneeling on the cold river rocks. Fresh blood dripped from his chin, staining the pebbles beneath him. His friends were taken away, toward whatever kind of life awaited them in those sects. Meanwhile, he was declared a sacrifice of the heavens, an entity cursed to die without the right to resist. Chu Xinghe raised his head, staring at the night sky filled with foreign stars and two pale moons.
"Ancient Emperor Body," Chu Xinghe murmured blankly, feeling a sudden wave of loneliness. "What does that even mean? I didn't see them as gods. They just left taking my friends, leaving me here alone."
Chu Xinghe coughed, a thick clump of black blood coming out of his mouth and soaking the slippery river stones. Around him, the rushing river water felt so foreign; there was no longer the sound of his friends' sobbing. They were truly gone, taken by those gods, carrying the hopes and fears of his friends beyond the clouds, leaving him at the water's edge as a corpse that had not yet rotted.
"Ancient Emperor... sacrifice..." Xinghe whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. "Just because a stone didn't shine, they decided I must die here?"
He let out a small laugh, a laugh that ended in a heavy gasp for breath. His head bowed, staring at the reflection of his own face in the river's surface illuminated by moonlight. That face was dirty, full of wounds, and looked very fragile. There were no signs of an emperor's majesty there. There was only a youth from Guangzhou who had lost everything in a single night.
"This world, is it a real realm like what Grandfather might have meant?" he muttered, reaching tremblingly for the watch behind his clothes.
Chu Xinghe gripped the bronze pocket watch left by his grandfather with fingers that shook violently. The cold metal felt slightly warm in his palm, as if holding the remains of a breath from a world that now felt millions of light-years away. "Grandfather... I am alone in this new world, what should I do? I never planned for this."
The night wind blew, bringing a cold that bit to the bone. Chu Xinghe tucked the bronze pocket watch back behind his torn and blood-stained shirt. He took a deep breath, the exhale still painful due to the forced essence earlier.
"I will not die in this lonely place," Xinghe whispered with gritted teeth. "Heaven's curse or not, as long as I am still breathing, my own feet will determine the direction."
He reached out his trembling hand, gripping a tree trunk nearby. The rough bark wounded his palm, but the sting gave him a bit of mental clarity. With great effort, Xinghe pulled his body up. His right knee shook violently, nearly losing the strength to support his weight. He staggered forward, his shoulder hitting the tree trunk, but he managed to stand upright.
Xinghe looked to the right and left. The Forest of a Thousand Purple Leaves at night looked like a giant labyrinth with no end. The light from the two moons hanging in the sky could only penetrate the gaps in the dense foliage. He stepped his feet toward the bushes, knowing he had no definite direction to walk and could only hope that a person or perhaps another living being could be found again.
"They call me mortal. A mortal human who will be eaten by wild beasts if left here," he thought while dragging his left leg which felt numb. "If there are sects, there must be villages. If there are flying experts who rule the sky, there must be dirt roads for ordinary humans down there. I just need to find a settlement. Look for clean water and something to stop these wounds."
Step by step he took with great difficulty. Every foothold required full concentration so he would not fall face-first. His breath sounded rough and hurried. Giant trees with purple leaves towered around him; the path through the bushes felt very heavy every time he had to force his steps to keep moving forward.