Chapter One Hundred: Dead...

Ye Jiuyao watched the strike, her heart trembling uncontrollably. This attack surpassed all worldly power, as if it descended from the heavens themselves. Everything happened too quickly—so quickly that before anyone could react, blood was already falling silently from the sky.

"Who... lost?"

The thought flashed through everyone's mind.

"Cough, cough..." Qin Yu's voice echoed from within. Mu Wan's expression changed, unable to suppress her internal energy any longer.

"Father!"

"Grandfather..."

"Lord of the Realm..."

Mu Wan, Ye Jiuyao, and the others cried out anxiously. Blood ties, flesh and bone, bonds thicker than water—they could not restrain their emotions.

The disciples of Transcendent Sect, affected by Ye Jiuyao and the others, felt their hearts racing. If the peak contender lost this battle, it meant there would be no point in continuing. After all, the manifestation behind Qin Yu was enough to doom them eternally, leaving not a shred of resistance.

As the dust settled, the manifestation behind Qin Yu vanished, and not a trace of Mu Yangtian's aura could be sensed, as if he had sunk beneath the waves—disappearing without a sound.

"Father..."

Suddenly, Mu Wan murmured, her pupils dull, yet a force was brewing within her.

Qin Yu's eyes snapped open, a triumphant smile on his face, but his eyes were now void and black.

"Mu Yangtian, I've lost my sight, but you've lost your life. Soon, this Hundred Sects Realm will be mine. When I break through, I shall see light again!"

Arrogantly, Qin Yu threw his head back and laughed, the energy within him erupting without restraint.

"Qingyu, take Jiuyao and leave..."

Suddenly, Mu Wan's voice reached Luo Qingyu's ears. In the next moment, a burst of light flashed, and though Ye Jiuyao sensed it, she had no time to react.

"Mother..."

Luo Qingyu called softly, then supported Ye Jiuyao and retreated.

Nangong Mingyue and the others saw this and their faces hardened with resolve. Even the newly recruited disciples did not flee but stood firm at this moment.

Yet the gap in strength was overwhelming.

"Fight!"

With a thunderous shout from the Transcendent Sect, large-scale battle erupted instantaneously. Mu Wan and Mo Yidao joined forces, fighting fiercely against Qin Yu.

The sky was ablaze with light, energy bursting like splendid fireworks, the unleashed power threatening to shatter mountains and split the earth.

Terrifying force rippled through the void, spreading over tens of miles. Just as the battle reached its fevered peak, a power exploded from the Heavenly Realm above.

"Sword Drawing Technique!"

A sudden explosion echoed overhead, a peerless sword light slashing through the sky. A man in white robes wielded a sword as he arrived.

With his strike, many disciples from various sects fell dead, and all eyes turned toward him.

"Heavenly Sword Sect, Sword Cloud."

The newcomer announced himself.

Soon, more figures in white appeared, each carrying a sword, their formidable sword intent swirling between heaven and earth.

"Heavenly Sword Sect of Heavenly Realm, here to repay our debt!"

The disciples, their eyes deep as ravines, a sharp blade suspended in their hearts, spoke with voices carrying the power to destroy the world.

"Falling Leaf Sect comes to pay respects to Palace Master Qin Yu!"

No sooner had the Heavenly Sword Sect's voices faded than the Falling Leaf Sect arrived, led by Ye Qing.

Behind him were Jiang Feng and Li Gaishi, who participated in the selection, along with Ye Chaofeng, the steward, and many disciples and elders of the sect.

"Excellent!"

Qin Yu tilted his head, smiling as he spoke.

"Falling Leaf Sect? You're bargaining with the tiger?"

"So what? Those who recognize the times are wise. You Heavenly Sword Sect and Transcendent Sect should disappear."

With that, Ye Qing strode forward, his internal energy like a mountain, surging toward Sword Cloud.

"You clearly don't know the meaning of death."

Sword Cloud looked at Ye Qing, murderous intent radiating from his face. His sword intent crashed down like a mountain, and with a single slash—

A condensed sword energy struck, and in a blink, it was upon Ye Qing.

"Sage King?!"

Ye Qing's face turned pale with fear, not expecting Sword Cloud to have stepped into the realm of Sage King.

"Boom!"

A violent crash. Ye Qing's hand was severed, blood streaming from his right arm, his expression contorted in agony.

"So, Sword Cloud, you hid your strength so well—I nearly fell into your trap!"

"Ha..."

Sword Cloud replied with another slash, even more terrifying than before, directly targeting Ye Qing.

"Master, save me!"

Yet Qin Yu frowned and did not intervene. His internal energy had been depleted in the battle with Mu Yangtian; the little that remained was barely enough to sustain his life.

Thus, the outcome was inevitable. With one stroke, Ye Qing's life ended.

...

Meanwhile, Luo Qingyu, leading Ye Jiuyao away, showed worry in her eyes. Still, she dared not look back, for Mu Wan and the others' desperate fight had given them a chance to escape.

...

Thousands of miles away.

An immortal figure, now dying, lay surrounded by a black-robed man whose sinister laughter echoed darkly.

"Mu Yangtian, I'll take the world's origin. To contend with the Thousand Emperor Realm, the Thousand Sects Realm needs stronger cultivators. Since your Hundred Sects Realm refuses to submit, you'll become our fodder."

"Cough... cough... Today's fate of the Hundred Sects Realm may be yours tomorrow. I wager all the souls of this realm—you will never reach that level!"

With that, Mu Yangtian unleashed a terrifying aura. The black-robed man sensed it and was seized by fear.

"You're insane! This will kill everyone!"

"Hahaha... If I'm mad, so be it. Rather than let you slaughter them, I'd rather destroy them myself..."

Mu Yangtian spat out a vaporous breath; had Ye Jiuyao been present, he'd recognize it as nearly identical to what he'd condensed in the Canglang Diagram.

But he was not there.

Mu Yangtian clenched his right hand, and the vapor burst forth in dazzling light. The black-robed man tried desperately to escape, but a force locked him in place.

"Let me go! Using the power of the realm, you'll die!"

"Heh... Die? If that's all, but your origin body will also be destroyed. Then I won't have lost, as half the origin of the Thousand Sects Realm will be gone..."

Without hesitation, Mu Yangtian crushed the vapor in his hand, as easily as one would squeeze a fruit.

"Boom..."

Instantly, centered on Mu Yangtian, the terrifying force of destruction spread in all directions. The black-robed man was also shattered beneath its power.

"It's over... Hm?! Grandson..."

Mu Yangtian gazed at the fractured earth with satisfaction, then seemed to sense something, murmuring softly.

"Grandfather has nothing more to give you, so I’ll grant you each a strand of origin, send you out of the Hundred Sects Realm—grow strong and avenge us in the future..."

...

Suddenly, a light appeared beneath Luo Qingyu's feet.

"Child, take care of him. When he's strong, let him avenge me..."

A familiar voice echoed in Luo Qingyu's ears, but she couldn't recall who it was. The next moment, she and Ye Jiuyao vanished into the light.

...

The power of destruction continued to spread across the Hundred Sects Realm. The clouds above grew thin and ethereal, the constructed world collapsing, the void cracking with the sound of shattering.

The earth split, all turned gray.

"What is happening?!"

All sects across the realm were shaken.

The heads of the highest sects wore grave expressions, staring at the land beneath their feet and the sky above.

"The world has changed. The energy has dissipated..."

Soon, the sect leaders spoke involuntarily.

"Go, ask the Lord of the Realm..."

But a powerful force pressed them harshly to the ground.

"Hiss... Origin, the origin is gone..."

"The Hundred Sects Realm... is lost..."

...

Transcendent Sect.

"Kill! Leave none alive!" Qin Yu sat cross-legged in the void, roaring furiously.

But in the next moment, his expression changed.

"Mu Yangtian!!"

He screamed in rage, his cultivation rapidly declining until finally he fell to the Awakening Realm!

"Splutter..."

Not only him, but everyone suffered the same fate.

"What’s happening?"

Most did not understand, but Qin Yu and other great figures knew the cause.

"The Hundred Sects Realm, invaded by outsiders, its origin destroyed—the traitor... Qin Yu!"

Mu Yangtian’s voice thundered across the realm. All cultivators, whether they knew Qin Yu or not, gritted their teeth in fury.

"Those who are not of our kind cannot be trusted. Qin Yu... courting death!"

A chorus of condemnation for Qin Yu arose across the realm.

"Mu Wan, remember—do not return. Come back only when you are far stronger than I am..."

With those words, a terrifying force enveloped the Transcendent Sect, dissipating them into the world. Qin Yu was left stunned, his strength gone.

"Mu Yangtian, you are ruthless!"

He cried, then fainted from rage.

A sweeping battle, ended in an instant by Mu Yangtian’s choice. At this moment, the Hundred Sects Realm... perished.

The loss of origin meant a world lost its primal energy. Without this support, it could no longer generate spiritual energy.

Without spiritual energy, cultivation was impossible. Only martial training and physical strengthening remained—never again could one pursue immortality.

Thus, the Hundred Sects Realm was lost.

Not only was the realm itself destroyed, but all its people lost the ability to cultivate, unless the origin was restored.

A single battle changed the world, the collapse of origin leading to countless deaths—tragic beyond compare!

PS: The first volume ends here. I am dissatisfied with my writing, but soon Ye Jiuyao will reappear in another form, and the secret of the Canglang Diagram will unfold. The arrival of great powers within the diagram will be revealed one by one...

The destruction of the Hundred Sects Realm is but a step, designed to give necessity to the Canglang Diagram’s existence. Aside from a select few, most from this realm will not reappear...

The second volume will be even more grand and turbulent. Please look forward to it...