Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1171: Disaster (7800)

[An Jing is... one of the Seven Calamities?!]

What does "My sect's Seven Calamities" mean?

Throughout history, Huaixu has witnessed numerous extraordinary and unbelievable people and events that defy common sense.

Whether it's the Asura demon who wholeheartedly does good deeds and eventually attains enlightenment, or the Heavenly Demon who is struck by lightning by mortals and killed by a group of mortals with ordinary iron in the rainy night, they are all good.

Whether it's a country groom who rises from humble beginnings to become the founder of the Heavenly Sect, or a sect leader who suddenly goes mad and corrupts his relatives and friends, causing the entire sect to collapse and be wiped out of the world overnight...

It seems that nothing is impossible in this world.

In particular, since the cultivation of the strong in this world relies on merit, there are many martial artists with a lot of ideas who are happy to realize their wild and bizarre ideas one by one.

But let's be honest.

The fact that there is a sect in the Seven Fiends Tribulation is truly unprecedented.

Haotian Mirror's announcement was straightforward and clear, leaving nothing unclear or ambiguous. Even so, immense doubt and even shock still spread throughout the entire Huaixu Realm, making everyone, from the Heavenly Sect to the Human Sect, from the Heavenly Sect to the Demonic Sect, feel incredulous, as if they were witnessing a hallucination.

Is Anjing a calamity of seven evil spirits?

Isn't he a naturalist?

[Wait, wait, wait, our sect's Seven Fiends Tribulation has appeared? What kind of talk is this? How can this be so rare?]

[Isn't the Seven Fiends Calamity a cursed, solitary star that brings annihilation wherever it goes? Where does it get the title of 'my sect'?]

[No, if An Jing is one of the Seven Fiends, then what exactly is the Path of Ascension?]

There is no room for doubt about this statement. Any Heavenly Lord could sense that the strange phenomena in the Northern Profound Sacrifice Continent were abnormal. The sun and moon were in opposition, the five planets were in retrograde, and a sea of ​​blood covered the sky. It was truly a first-class Seven Fiends Calamity phenomenon in the world.

In the past, the Seven Fiends Tribulation required at least a pure Yang nature, and only those with the highest rank could unleash it. But now, regardless of An Jing's realm or strength, the fact that he could create such a celestial phenomenon means he could not possibly be of any other destiny.

For a moment, all the forces in the world that had come into contact with An Jing were bewildered, shocked, and even gasped in astonishment.

"I... I'm not dead?!"

Whether it was the Heavenly Will Demonic Sect or the younger generation of the Zhutian Sect, almost everyone who had seen An Jing felt a chill run down their spine and a coldness rush to their head. Upon closer reflection, they realized that An Jing had always held back in their battles with them. Otherwise, if he got carried away and added a single move, he could probably turn them all into bloody pulp!
"I... I was saved..."

"Seven Fiends Tribulation with such a good temper? How is that possible... But An Jing is indeed alive and well, and he hasn't lost many friends. Although his sect suffered a calamity, it was unscathed. There really aren't many reasons for him to get angry..."

"But just how strong is he?! Just how strong is he to be able to suppress the life force of the Seven Fiends Tribulation with his own strength?!"

The shock of this event even briefly overshadowed the second wave of strange phenomena that erupted in the world—the astute experts quickly discovered that another Great Dao fluctuation, theoretically no less powerful than the Seven Fiends Tribulation, had appeared in the Northern Profound Sacrifice Continent. Without a doubt, besides the Seven Fiends Tribulation, another destiny had also been born.

However, apart from the moment of its birth when it competed with the Seven Fiends for a period of time, this destiny was quickly suppressed, subjugated by the Seven Fiends, and obscured by the bloody light.

However, this period of time was enough for them to discern the true nature of this destiny.

[Is this the true master of nature?]

[Location source: Xuantian Palace?]

【Could it be that……】

Upon realizing this, even the mad and resolute Zhu Lingxiao hesitated for a moment—the Natural Master of Xuantian Palace, and the Seven Fiends who stormed into the capital… Damn it, is this for real? When did the Great Chen Dynasty have such good fortune, with two destinies serving it at the same time?
Should we intervene?

In that moment of hesitation, they sensed several powerful wills.

The Four Seasons Dragon Gods, the Old Fly from the south... and several other figures, some concealed, others unfamiliar, emanating from the heavens and earth...

Furthermore, within the Great Chen territory, there are several unfamiliar Lingxiao auras that were previously completely unknown, but have suddenly appeared at this moment!

【That's all! 】

The outbreak of cause and effect is so rapid that if it were an immortal primordial spirit, it would have long since fled a thousand miles away. Because they can traverse time and space and spend thousands of years adjusting cause and effect and setting up the grand scheme of heaven and earth, if they encounter something unexpected, they will know that this matter is something they cannot interfere with.

Even the less meticulous martial arts master Lingxiao is not truly fearless.

The world is in turmoil, and undercurrents are churning throughout the entire Huai Xu Realm, while in the Bei Xuan Sacrifice Continent, they are like raging waves!
However, even at the very center of the storm.

Beneath the capital, a semblance of tranquility remains.

The peace after death.

Shenjing·Youdu
Since its inception, Shenjing has spanned the three realms.

Its Heavenly Capital is essentially a metaphysical place that exists only within the realm of the Great Dao and the laws of the world. If we were to use the terminology of the Heavenly Origin Realm, it would be a higher-level cybernet spacetime. Generally, only the Imperial Court and Heavenly Officials with the blood of the Emperor and the Dragon Qi Talisman can enter and exit. They are the management level, looking down upon the mortal world.

The human realm, needless to say, is the dwelling place of billions of living beings and the location of the imperial court.

The underground Youdu is practically a copy of Shenjing in the You world, except that the location of Xuantian Palace is replaced by the 'Yingtian Immortal Tree'.

As An Jing launched his attack on the officials of the Execution Platform, a large number of residents suddenly appeared in Youdu.

Death came so suddenly and swiftly that most people didn't even realize they were already dead and needed to play a resurrection game—one moment they were hurling threats at An Jing, and the next they were here.

When they regained consciousness, they found themselves no longer on solid ground, their bodies floating, incredibly light. Looking down, their bodies were translucent, and the surrounding area was no longer the terrifyingly bright, fiery sea of ​​fire, but... a gray, calm street that was somewhat frightening.

Youdu.

The souls of the dead in Shenjing, especially those who died violently, do not immediately dissipate and their true spirits enter the cycle of reincarnation. Instead, they continue to reside in Youdu until their 'lifespan' is exhausted.

After one's 'heavenly lifespan' is exhausted, there are still descendants to offer incense and sacrifices, which can prolong one's 'death lifespan'.

When the Heavenly Life and the Underworld Life are both present, even if one is not a martial artist and has no destiny, the soul of the deceased can still maintain self-awareness and memories will not dissipate, living in the Underworld like a living person, thanks to the Divine Capital Grand Formation and special laws.

"I...I'm dead?" A middle-aged fat man in a brocade robe stared blankly at his illusory palm, then looked at the other equally bewildered souls around him.

"What happened? That light just now... what was that?"

"I feel... a little hot?" A young woman touched her arm with some surprise and uncertainty. She had been shivering and hiding at home, and she felt as if there was a jolt, and the scene at home suddenly changed into Youdu.

After a brief period of chaos, some souls, especially those from wealthy families who had lived comfortably and regularly worshipped their ancestors, suddenly found their bodies solidifying.

Wisps of incense smoke, like the power of prayers, flowed from the underworld and 'entwined' these souls, allowing these floating spirits to land on the earth and then act like ordinary people.

"Haha, I knew it was right to worship our ancestors! If our ancestors can't use it, I can use it myself!"

At this moment, the fat man in brocade robes laughed heartily. He was dragged back to his own home by the power of his family's incense offerings, where the objects and furnishings were exactly the same as his home in reality.

"I was killed... That An Jing! He's truly not a human being!"

Some people only realized what had happened when they were dragged back to their homes in Youdu.

In an instant, they were filled with anger, gritted teeth, lingering fear, and a hint of relief: "Fortunately, we are people of the capital, we own local property, we have year-round sacrifices, our souls have a long life after death, and we still have a place to live. We are so different from the lowly people outside."

"No wonder they say even a dog would be reborn in the capital!"

These people were quite relieved, and with a touch of humility, they looked out at the sky above the house at the souls that were not being dragged along by incense.

Although those people were also from Shenjing, they either didn't have the money to worship their ancestors or they were migrant workers from other places.

Here... even death is not equal.

The people of Shenjing outside also have a death anniversary, but their treatment is far inferior to that of the people outside. Shenjing will allocate accommodations for them, but these are not their own residences in reality. Instead, they are rather cramped ancestral tablets where their souls can reside. This is considered a success.

"Alas, that cloud-silk robe I just ordered! I haven't even had a chance to wear it yet! Damn it, why did it have to come of all times!" A noblewoman sighed. Although this Youdu residence had everything she could need, she couldn't bring all her worldly wealth with her.

A neighbor sighed, "Yes, and my new puppet... it was reduced to ashes before I even got to use it a few times."

"Still thinking about puppets?" Someone frowned. "The fact that Anjing has attacked the capital is probably because of people like you who have been recklessly insulting his path!"

"Aren't living people good enough? They can be fun to train. Why do you have to crave novelty? You all know how crazy those martial artists outside the Imperial Dynasty are!"

"Sigh, yes." If they were still alive, someone would definitely object, but now that they're dead, their souls wander, and it's hard to tell a lie. Immediately, someone genuinely regretted it: "If we had known that using puppets would cause such consequences, we wouldn't have done it."

"I always said puppets aren't that useful. There's no need to be so aggressive. In the end, it's just for fun. There are plenty of toys out there. Why insist on using someone else's destiny's path to play with..."

"Zhang Lao Er, how dare you say that? We were just playing around, but you actually imported puppets to use as slave laborers, causing a huge number of people to lose their jobs. I think you're the real culprit!"

The person who was refuted wanted to retort, but not quite used to life after death, his soul shifted its thoughts and he spoke the truth. His face was fierce, but his tone was full of regret: "Yes, puppets are actually quite delicate. They can't work if they exceed a certain temperature or time. They can still be used if forced by someone—I actually wanted to curry favor with Tianjian Mountain and import more, hoping for a connection with destiny. Who knew I would encounter something like this!"

"In the end, manual labor is actually much cheaper. Puppet puppets are far too expensive. I should have known it would attract the Seven Fiends Calamity..."

"What's there to be afraid of! Can An Jing really chase us all the way to the Underworld?"

Some people reflected on their situation, and although their reflections were far from correct, at least they were reflecting. But in the vast capital city, some people actually went mad: "Even if he is the Seven Fiends Tribulation, he will be suppressed in the mortal realm now. If we die, we will actually be safe!"

"Although Youdu is a bit boring, at least we can live out our lifespan. Dachen is the Heavenly Sect after all, and suppressing a Seven Fiends Tribulation is no problem for them. I don't think Anjing will live as long as us!"

Of course, while some went mad, others were terrified. An Jing was ultimately a Seven Fiends Tribulation cultivator. Some of the Shenjing Netherworld Souls who understood the terror of the Seven Fiends Tribulation almost knelt down in the Netherworld. However, most of them did not dare to insult An Jing, who dared to kill them, but instead insulted Da Chen.

"What were those officials who were maintaining the great formation doing?! This is the most important place under the Emperor's feet, and it's been destroyed like this by a madman!"

"We have served the people for generations with loyalty and virtue, paying taxes and offering sacrifices, and yet the Great Array of the Capital has been broken like this?!"

"Who's in charge? Useless! Trash! A bunch of useless trash!"

They dared not resent Anjing, nor did they dare to name and curse the officials, but they always had to vent their anger.

Most people assumed that everyone would join them in cursing—whether it was An Jing or Da Chen.

But it didn't.

river.

There is a river here.

The river rushes through the clouds of the underworld, causing tears to fall like rain, the sea of ​​suffering to surge, and the Netherworld to flash with thunder. Neither wind nor rain, neither sorrow nor pain, can penetrate the magic array of the capital city, nor enter the realm of the underworld.

But in the end, no matter what, this place is the dead, the dwelling place of the dead, lamentations and pain, and those who are unwilling to leave.

Death. Death.

Death is a kind of suffering, but death is also a kind of liberation.

Those who have expectations and hopes for the world, regardless of where, when, or where those expectations and hopes are based, ultimately do not want to die. But some people refuse to die, not because they yearn for life, but simply because they drift along with the tide.

A spirit raised its head blankly, looking at the sky above the Netherworld Capital. The Netherworld barrier there was not as tight as elsewhere, and one could vaguely see some kind of magnificent radiance flowing and releasing within the capital, sweeping away everything while sending more and more spirits into the Netherworld.

Countless souls thus fell into the netherworld.

Death falls like rain, death flows like a river, ceaselessly and without end.

In that instant, she couldn't help but recall the day many years ago when her father didn't come back.

She was just an ordinary old woman. Her parents were farmers, and if nothing unexpected happened, she would have been a farmer too, and her children would have been farmers as well. They lived in a red brick house outside the capital, and that was how her life would have passed.

Being a farmer in the outskirts of the capital is certainly better than being a farmer in other places.

No need to live in mud houses or worry about natural disasters or man-made calamities. No matter how many children are born, Shenjing can always feed everyone. No matter how the outside world is ravaged by wind and rain, ice and frost, or barren land, war and turmoil, the area around Shenjing is always blessed with good weather and abundant harvests every year.

The happiest time of the year for her is when she goes to the city to buy New Year's goods.

Because on that day, her father would take her in an old oxcart, creaking and groaning along the tidy road, to the city where the air was sweet and the days and nights were bright.

There are strange people dancing with fire, flying shuttles, shining pearls, and sweet candies.

Of course, she knew her family didn't have much money, so she was very obedient and never asked for anything. But her father would always use the few coins left over from buying New Year's goods to buy her a sticky rice candy.

Her father's hands, rough like old tree bark, stroked her head and handed her the piece of candy.

The rice candy is very fragrant, with the sweetness of malt and glutinous rice, but it's very sticky.

She needed to hold it in her mouth and chew it constantly to taste the flavor. Once, she chewed so hard that a baby tooth that was about to fall out was pulled out by the candy, which made her cry loudly. Her father, feeling both sorry for her and amused, hugged her, poked her with his stubble, and spun her around twice.

Another year passed, and new teeth grew in, but Father did not return.

Not only did the father not return, but most of the villagers who went with him also did not return.

The uncles and elders who returned were terrified. They took her and the other younger relatives and hurriedly left, returning to the village. Then, without knowing why, the whole village panicked and began to prepare for migration.

She remembered that when her mother heard the news, she covered her mouth. This burly, never-complaining peasant woman only cried out her father's name, but there were no tears.

She packed her belongings as quickly as possible, and together with her and the other pale-faced villagers with the same surname, they left their hometown overnight.

I offended a distinguished person.

It wasn't until ten years later that she vaguely understood the meaning behind those five words. For some, it might cause them to break out in a cold sweat, or they might be fearless and reckless, or they might be pondering how to give a gift to salvage the relationship...

But for most people in Beijing...

This means death, punishment, and departure.

What exactly was the collision like?

Perhaps it was because the noise from my father's old oxcart was too loud while the important people were chatting, or perhaps it was because I was talking while they were talking.

Perhaps their strong body odor made them uncomfortable, causing them to frown.

Perhaps they accidentally blocked their car, got run over, and were then disgusted by the blood, flesh, and filth on the vehicle.

There are many possibilities—even now, she doesn't know the truth. In the years since leaving the outskirts of Shenjing, her family and the entire village have had a very hard time and haven't had time to think about these things.

Back to Shenjing.

Gradually, people started saying...

--why?
No reason.

Without hesitation, everyone answered.

Back to Shenjing.

We must return to Shenjing.

Where you can survive, that's the best place to go.

The family spent hundreds of years, generation after generation, working hard and striving for progress, before finally getting the opportunity to settle in the outskirts of the capital, making them half-people of the capital. Although they offended some important people and had to leave, more than ten years have passed, and these important people are forgetful; they don't remember these trivial matters that often made them angry.

So, decades later, thanks to her children, she returned to the capital.

A martial artist of miscellaneous fates, and a minor official.

It sounds ordinary, just an insignificant cannon fodder in the martial arts world, something that a truly powerful martial artist could turn to ashes with a single move. But in the mortal world, this is an achievement that is as rare as one's ancestors emitting auspicious smoke.

Of the three sons and two daughters she raised, two were exceptionally talented. Everyone said that she had inherited the family's good fortune and turned her misfortune into good fortune.

She was truly proud, and what was even more enviable was that her husband was also an excellent person, just like her father. Otherwise, their children would never have been able to succeed.

A transfer order, a filial offering, repeated offerings, and repeated requests.

Finally, they returned to their 'hometown'.

Shenjing, Shenjing...

This time, the family settled in the suburbs again, while she moved into the city and lived in a small courtyard rented by her sons with their salaries.

What a blessing it is that she left the capital when she was young and still young, and returned when she lost her strength and could no longer work.

Even the smell of the city's ditches is better than the wildflowers in the countryside.

People say she is very lucky, and she thinks so too, so she has always been secretly grateful to 'Heaven'.

Until that day.

A shock...

One of her grandsons, a quiet boy who loves to read, joined a club.

A group comprised of scions of prominent families, descendants of martial artists, and elites from among the common people; simply put, it was a supporting group that acted in relation to the offspring of a certain important figure.

This important figure is said to be a close aide to Prince Jing, and his offspring are the young elites of the Gu family, the future heads of the family—although in the capital, this status is not considered truly prestigious, they are undoubtedly true benefactors.

There were tens of thousands of people surrounding him... so when the reckoning came, it was a bloodbath.

Why?

Why must all those who follow that noble person die? Why must her grandson, her son, her husband, and all her bloodline members die?
That doesn't make sense. They didn't do anything at all. They just worked as assistants in that organization, doing odd jobs. That's all. They worked diligently in Shenjing, serving the important people!

She didn't understand, she didn't know, but she dared not resist, she could only...

Acceptance and compliance.

Just like the day my father didn't come back, I knew nothing, I understood nothing, but still... I accepted and submitted to that fate.

Blood splattered, the streets turned crimson, and at dawn the guards kicked down her door and, right before her eyes, beheaded her husband, her three sons, and her quiet grandson.

The head rolled to the ground, and the woman in the house was dragged away, sobbing, unable to utter a sound of her grief.

She recalled her mother's tearless wails, and this time, she couldn't shed a tear either.

With three sons dead and two daughters forced into prostitution, she was considered lucky. Due to her advanced age, she was only sentenced to "labor service," sweeping the streets and tidying up. At least she had a place to stay and could remain in... Shenjing.

Shenjing...

Am I really that miserable?

No.

The real suffering she endured during those years outside of the capital is beyond the comprehension of someone as fortunate as her.
Those "idiots" at the village entrance who are teased by children, pelted with stones, and have their fingernails pulled out, yet they don't know how to fight back and just laugh foolishly; those mentally disabled, dull-witted children who beg on the streets; or those martial arts cripples whose meridians are shattered after fighting with others.

Those girls who were kidnapped, those farmers whose hearts were ripped out and drunk by bandits and 'heroes'... those withered men who toiled their whole lives but had to pay off their gambling debts to their children, those old women in the countryside who raised their children alone and sent them away from their homeland, only to end up lonely and destitute with no one to care for them, and could only stare blankly at the road leading to the town, waiting silently.

In this world, if we were to compare suffering, it would be endless and inexhaustible, just like the dark sea of ​​suffering, where the waves never cease.

But am I really lucky?

Nor is it.

There will always be happy people who can live a carefree life, even if they toil in the fields. At least they can have children and live on, generation after generation. They can die of illness instead of taking their own lives when their children can no longer bear it. They can have filial children, live out their old age in peace, and pass away peacefully amidst cries.

If we're comparing happiness, there will always be someone happier at the top. This constant comparison has no end, and it can even turn happiness into unhappiness and joy into pain.

That's just how the world is.

That's just how the world is.

The sick will die, the injured will get sick, the awakened will fall asleep, the pain will wake them up. Those who can't see clearly will smile, and those who can see clearly will still smile.

Misfortune is like this, and so is happiness.

This has been the case since 30,000 years ago, or even since hundreds of thousands of years ago, after the Demonic Calamity.

There's nothing to say, nothing to resent.

So, in the end, when she learned that her job had also been replaced by the puppet, and that she could 'go home and wait to die'...

She didn't say much, but went home and quietly waited for that day to come.

So, in the end, after she heard that calm announcement.

She felt neither fear nor did she want to escape... She wasn't transported away by the eerie blue light; she simply walked calmly out of the room and looked at the sun in the sky.

The sky was vast and cloudless, a blood-red expanse like a mirror or a sea, yet a ray of divine light, like a knife or a sword, cleaved through the heavens and earth, splitting the entire world in two.

That figure was there, right in the center of the light, surrounded by everyone who was on high alert, exuding a chilling and majestic aura.

He saw her.

He saw all of him and her.

He didn't care, or rather, he was simply impartial, like the sun shining in the sky, neither adding a ray of light to the joy of the people on earth, nor diminishing a ray of light to the sorrow of human affairs.

The supreme star shines with boundless light.

Then, the light suddenly burst open, causing endless clouds to appear out of thin air, which then destroyed everything.

In the final ten seconds before her death, her already blurry vision went blind as the excessively hot light scorched everything.

But she felt no pain or fear. Instead, she felt a long-lost peace, as if she were back in her father's arms, eating that sticky rice candy.

at last.

Death truly came.

This was an ordinary day.

Just like the day Dad didn't come back, just like the day Mom died, just like the day the whole family returned to the capital, just like the day the family was purged.

On the day she died, there was no thunder, no sea of ​​suffering, no tears or mournful winds. Although the light shone brightly, in the end, it was just an ordinary day, no different from any other day in the past or any other day in the future.

So, in the underworld, amidst the storms of death, she, who had never prayed to the heavens, instead prayed to the heavens of the underworld, to the scene of the present world, to the figure confronting all the 'nobles of the capital'.

Burn everything to ashes!

She clasped her hands together and prayed to the figure who had killed her and destroyed the capital...

prayer.

—It's just day after day, every single day… The day before yesterday, yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow… Every day I can remember seems to be the same, the days seem to be the same, endlessly repeating, day after day…

day!
Stop this! In times like these, on days like these, if you truly are subject to the Seven Calamities, if you are truly 'born of divine will'...

Destroy all of this!

Let's disrupt this daily routine!

Let's destroy this endless yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

【Fate, whatever you truly are, whether you are a natural master or a calamity of seven evils…】

Let all of today and tomorrow become yesterday, never to return!

Human beings will never be happy—at least not today.

and so……

At least, let me truly die.

She prayed like this.

The human world, the present world.

Above the capital city.

[The Seven Calamities... Prince De's words just now sounded rather weak, didn't they?]

Ignoring the Emperor who was confronting Grand Tutor Hong behind him, Yin Gujin exchanged glances with An Jing. He turned to the young martial artist and revealed a hearty smile: "[He actually said that you went astray by killing those mortals... What a weak and cowardly thought he has!]"

[You said you were going to launch an attack, and they actually dared not flee, which means they wanted to fight you—how many times in an era can one have the chance to fight the Seven Fiends? They died without regret, they should be applauded and celebrated.]

"Great power should be used to change the status quo. I understand you, because all martial artists think this way."

He raised his hand, assumed a fighting stance, and issued a challenge: "So, An Jing, Seven Fiends Tribulation... whatever you want to do, you must first defeat me."

An Jing didn't reply; she just breathed.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and assumed a fighting stance.

He remained silent, unresponsive, and unexplaining. He needed no one's understanding, prayers, expectations, or obstruction.

No words are needed, for actions are the will.

Right now, at this very moment, in this very place.

He is God, he is Heaven.

then……

[Descending Calamity]

He threw a punch.

(End of this chapter)