Chapter 524: Chapter 169: The Fall of Ji Wu

The next moment, the Void Vertical Eye unleashed a Soul Destruction Light, which, like a divine punishment from the heavens, suddenly descended upon Ji Wu.

Ji Wu’s body began to tremble violently and quickly became as desiccated as a skeleton, aged and decayed.

In an instant, his bones rotted and broke apart, leaving behind only a piece of human skin that, like a deflated balloon, “whooshed” to the ground.

A ghostly shadow was extracted by the Void Vertical Eye and etched into a temporary storage within the void.

Ji Wu’s physical body completely disintegrated, with the only remaining piece being a piece of human skin, left behind as if shed like cicada’s skin.

His entire life vanished, reduced to ashes, without a trace of his remains. His life turned into a single piece of skin, the only testament to his existence in this world.

In the void, the Vertical Eye, as if penetrating the primordial chaos of heaven and earth, suddenly swept from an ancient planet to a young man who bore a close nine-tenths resemblance to Ji Wu. Then, inexplicably, the young man traversed through the void and naturally entered Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

Upon his sudden arrival here, the young man was not panicked but remained very calm. He looked around and soon noticed the giant eye within the void.

His pupils contracted, yet he remained unflappable and bowed respectfully, saying, “May I know the reason the senior has brought this junior here, and if there is any service this junior can provide?”

His speech was respectful yet neither servile nor overbearing, and he carried himself with cool composure.

“Not bad, indeed. Your temperament, comprehension, and talent are all quite exceptional,” said the Vertical Eye, after a careful examination, with a tone that carried a hint of approval.

Then, the eye casually waved its hand, revealing a scene from the previous genius competition and the subsequent moment of Ji Wu’s demise.

After a long while, as scene after scene unfolded, the young man’s eyes reddened, and they shone with an intense and complex array of emotions.

“Are you willing to accept your brother’s inheritance and continue to glorify the Xiao Family?”

The Thunder Origin Sword God’s giant eye sent out this inquiring message.

“Senior, I wish to undergo a trial. If I succeed, then I will gladly accept. If I fail, I hope that all of me can contribute to everything my brother had,” said Xiao Wuji, his expression solemn.

“You have neither the right to dictate terms nor the eligibility for the trial.”

“Even if you were eligible, should you die, all your brother’s efforts would be in vain, and I would not let you complete your brother’s legacy. Neither are you worthy of having your potential and talent extracted – because your brother has no right to be resurrected. He is truly dead,” the Void Vertical Eye said bluntly.

“Senior, please bestow my brother’s talent upon this junior,” Xiao Wuji said, his eyes brimming with tears, his voice trembling.

“Very well.”

…

The cold wind howled, casting a chill across heaven and earth.

The bone-piercing coldness could not stop the sorrow in his heart.

Xiao Wuji, clad in Purple Gold Battle Armor, carried a Crystal Coffin on his back, stepping through the void.

With his wounds healed and having received his brother’s full talent inheritance, he finally grasped the combat power nearly at the peak of the Nine Changes and began to have a minor understanding of the Original Dao.

In strength, he had reached the peak of Sword Void Nine Transformations and could now sense the Heavenly Tribulation, ready to enter the Sword Tribulation Realm.

However, he repressed his realm, desiring to grow stronger and comprehend the Way of Combat Power of Break Nine.

Carrying the coffin, he walked out of Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain and set his gaze directly on one of the Secondary Main Peaks of Guanghan South Mansion, number 15294.

He knew that his fated enemy, Zhou Yan, who had inherited both his brother’s and his own hatred, was there.

He stared at the location for some time before shifting his gaze and soaring into the sky dome.

…

15294 Secondary Main Peak.

“So, the Path of Incompletion is actually a very powerful Dao because the true Dao is not about Perfection.”

Zhou Yan was explaining the Cultivation Method of the Path of Incompletion to his disciple Hou Chen, who was making rapid progress with astonishing comprehension.

“It’s said his Emperor Blood comes from the first generation of the Emperor Qi Sword Body, but the origins of this bloodline may not be so straightforward. To truly understand it, one must delve into a mysterious place. And the power I once had was the real pinnacle.”

Zhou Lingyao listened to Zhou Yan’s story and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

“Where do you start?”

Zhou Yan paused slightly, taken aback.

“The story is, in fact, quite a long one. Originally, due to certain reasons, my first generation had its bloodline completely drawn out and refined into a planet, which is why each generation of mine has been weaker than the last. However, I can be certain that the Emperor Blood within Hou Chen is not mine. Even though the bloodline inheritance in his body indeed makes him a descendant of mine.”

Zhou Lingyao said, pondering deeply.

“Hmm? What do you mean? Isn’t the Sword Burial Ancestor Star derived from the Thunder Origin Sword God?”

There was a stir in Zhou Yan’s heart, prompting him to inquire further.

“I know very little about this matter myself— Eh?”

Zhou Lingyao’s expression suddenly changed midway through speaking, immediately becoming extremely grave.

At this moment, it wasn’t just him; Zhou Yan also felt an inexplicable ‘palpitation’ in his heart.

This change was strange and unexplained, a sudden palpitation for no apparent reason.

“Did you sense it too?” Zhou Lingyao’s brow furrowed as he asked.

“Yes, according to the timing, it seems Ji Wu might have passed the test.”

Zhou Yan considered it carefully before responding.

“Not necessarily, if I’m not mistaken, Ji Wu should have died.”

Zhou Lingyao suddenly said, and then, with a light wave of his hand, a ripple appeared in the sky.

In the ripple, a young man dressed in Purple Gold Battle Armor was carrying a Crystal Coffin on his back. Inside the coffin lay a Human Skin.

That was Ji Wu’s skin.

And that young man carrying the coffin, upon noticing Zhou Yan and Zhou Lingyao looking his way, returned their gaze with cold eyes.

Those eyes were deep and icy, devoid of emotion.

Zhou Yan and Zhou Lingyao were both deeply struck by the impression those eyes left.

“Who is he?”

Zhou Yan’s heart skipped a beat and his eyelids involuntarily twitched a few times as he asked gravely.

“His name is ‘Xiao Wuji’, the younger brother of Xiao Ji Wu. He was once expelled from the Saint Family Xiao Family for his disobedience and rebellion—Xiao Family is the one behind the Wuxu Saint and Wu Xu Saint. In fact, there are rumors that he was framed by Ji Wu, and actually, his talent was slightly better than Ji Wu’s. Unexpectedly, he has returned, while Ji Wu failed the trial and died.”

Zhou Lingyao explained.

As Zhou Yan watched Xiao Wuji depart through the sky, for some reason, he felt a persistent unease in his heart, akin to the initial apprehension Lee Sha had upon encountering Xiao Tianlun.

“Is Xiao Tianlun also a member of the Xiao Family?”

Zhou Yan suddenly asked.

“Yes, Xiao Tianlun is indeed considered half a member of the Xiao Family.”

Zhou Lingyao confirmed.

“If Xiao Tianlun is a Xiao Family member, then the grudges starting from Lee Sha’s generation have long been in place.”

Zhou Yan had a moment of clarity, finally understanding the source of Ji Wu’s initial hostility.

(I’ve been getting up at 3 AM recently to write, hence the stable updates. Finally, the long-term fatigue has caught up with me; these past two days, I’ve been incredibly weary. I’m really tired. So the updates have been slower. I’ll adjust Can Jian’s schedule soon and will try to update more without compromising quality.)