Chapter 563: Chapter 001: Making Fun out of Suffering

The mountain breeze whispered through the night, a night that proved to be interminably long and arduous.

All night, Zhou Yan barely had a chance to catch his breath.

He drank the once Fiery Flame Sword Heart Wine, but even the liquor couldn’t soothe his complex emotions.

Originally, everything had reached the anticipated moment, all the wonderful things were about to burst forth, and tonight was meant to be a sleepless celebration.

But it was indeed sleepless, just not celebratory.

Zhou Yan was never a man to wallow in despair or fragility, yet he did not understand why he suddenly felt so defeated and vulnerable.

It was as if he was caught in an unreal dream, but what was the harm in treating it like one?

The shattered space-time, the chaotic situation, and countless powerful adversaries like mountains, among which even stronger beings existed.

Even saints who required one’s upturned gaze decayed in an instant, met their demise; what then, in this world, still warranted concern or nostalgia?

Thus, what harm was there in viewing everything that emerged from the Cold Pond as mere illusion?

It’s just that even if one treats it as a dream, there always comes a time to awaken.

Zhou Yan awoke, for perhaps he had never truly slept from the beginning, nor was he ever really bewildered; deep down, he was always clear-headed.

“Zhou Yanxuan, I’m sorry. The Holy Daughter entrusted me with that star core to assist you in the recruit-and-match.”

Jia Yongheng approached and stood on the solitary peak of the Secondary Main Peak, speaking beside Zhou Yan.

“Do you know if the Holy Daughter can condense the will of Heaven?”

Zhou Yan asked calmly.

By his side, his disciple Hou Chen sat silently with him, never speaking a word.

“I don’t know, but I understand the significance of the star core to her.”

Jia Yongheng sighed.

Zhou Yan, as if he hadn’t heard Jia Yongheng, did not respond.

After a moment of contemplation, Jia Yongheng continued, “The Nine Origin Reincarnation is an opportunity, a chance for the rules of high-level planes to manifest, as Divine Fist Li once said. We cannot give up.

Now, at the very least… the saints will cease their strife and marshal their energy, waiting for that day to arrive.”

Jia Yongheng spoke again.

Still, Zhou Yan offered no reply.

“Also, although the Ten Thousand Sword Sky Saint and others are no more, Sect Master Hou Yan and others are still here, and so is the Thunder Expansion Sacred Land. Also, that little girl ‘Yanyan’ doesn’t want to see you like this. Your parents are missing… don’t be disheartened, after all, everyone tried their best to help you, this incident was truly an accident, no one could have predicted it.”

Jia Yongheng sighed in resignation.

Zhou Yan’s heart felt a slight release, yet he could not hide the pain within.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and said, “You’re right, the Huangfu Family, Tianji Mountain, Destiny Temple and even the Outer Domain Yang Family have all assisted me with the recruit-and-match, but I… have let them down.”

“We are not disappointed, for it is we who are truly powerless.”

Huang Futing, Huang FuZhan, and Huangfu Jing, the three siblings, stepped down from the void, and behind them, the saints, though not physically present, watched on from the void at their family’s disciples.

“Brother Huangfu.”

Zhou Yan gave a bitter smile.

“If I were you, I would probably have gone mad; that mysterious young man, Jiang Tianling, is truly terrifying. When I saw him, my soul was shivering and trembling. After his long departure, even I, Huang FuZhan, found myself speechless, what a waste…”

“Not just Brother Huangfu, I, Yang Liufeng, pride myself as a genius second only to you, Zhou Yan, yet even I nearly wet myself in fright, and I’m not exaggerating. I’m not afraid of being ridiculed; it’s the truth, I really nearly lost control.”

Huang FuZhan and Yang Liufeng, among others, all spoke up.

Everyone felt more or less the same, but there was one striking similarity: they were all profoundly frightened.

It was akin to a rabbit encountering a ferocious tiger—this fear seemed to be intrinsic, unrelated to courage.

“We are also under immense pressure, finding it hard to breathe. The feeling is even more terrifying than when the Lei Yan King was enraged.”

Saint Yao, along with Qian Xi, also joined in, and only then did the atmosphere relax somewhat.

“We’re all but mere ants.”

Sect Master Wuwei of Tianji Mountain, along with Zhuge Guyan, Zhuge Chunqiu, and others, arrived, equally exhausted.

…

The mountain gradually filled with more people, saints and mighty beings occasionally landed here, but mostly, they treated Zhou Yan with great courtesy and not as frantically as before.

“Are we all just ‘domesticated pigs’? Then… what sort of existence does the Jiang family belong to?”

After a long while, Zhou Yan found himself again and sighed, asking the question.

“The Jiang family… apart from the Lei Yuan Sword God and the Holy Daughter, I’m afraid no one else knows. But when asking about geniuses under the heavens, who isn’t an ant? Only by continuously strengthening oneself does one stand a chance to break free from being an ant. Whether or not there’s a Jiang family doesn’t really matter. After all, we must still strive in our cultivation, aiming for that slim chance of transcendence.”

Sect Master Wuwei of Tianji Mountain solemnly answered.

His words were not just a response to Zhou Yan, but also to everyone affected by Jiang Tianling.

In fact, not only was Zhou Yan struck, but how many among them, like Saint Yao, were not on the verge of being utterly disheartened?

“Right, as the Yaochi Saint said, we cannot let my brother’s sacrifice be in vain, we cannot let all the old people and infants of Yaochi Sacred Land die in vain; these people, they will pay the price sooner or later!”

Zhou Yan said gravely.

“Yes, that’s the right mindset. Moreover, things aren’t as dire as you think.”

Firstly, within a hundred years, the Jiang family will not send any strong cultivators here, because in their eyes, this place is nothing more than a “pigsty.”

Secondly, the Nine Origin Reincarnation is bound to come within the next hundred years, so we all have a chance within this time.

Thirdly, after the Holy Daughter returns to the Jiang family, she will definitely do her utmost to help us, delaying the punishments from above for the time being, so we won’t have any problems in the short term.

These three points, which I’ve deduced, align well with the trend of the development of the Heavenly Dao, and for us, they represent an opportunity.

Now, at least among the saints, a great war should not break out, and the affairs of the Nine Origin Heavenly City will proceed as scheduled. Of course, this time, the saints will join forces to seal the memories of some of the parties involved, preventing the information from leaking and causing panic.

And those cultivators with a notable background will receive warnings, and naturally, they will not spread the matter…”

“The Nine Origin Heavenly City will be primarily led by your generation of geniuses, Zhou Yan, and the next generation as well. You must not let this incident have such an impact that you cannot recover; otherwise, it really would be hopeless.”

Zhuge Wuwei spoke earnestly.

Everyone, including the saints from the outer domains, nodded seriously, indicating their agreement with Zhuge Wuwei.

“The Thunder Expansion Sacred Land has been established; you should focus on developing it well. In time, you might even awaken as the Thunder Origin Sword God, and then there will be no need to worry about the Jiang family.

Perhaps the Thunder Origin Sword God might not be a match for Jiang Tianling, but the Thunder Origin Sword God’s strength certainly will not be so weak as to have no ability to counter Jiang Tianling.

Back then, people like Wan Jian Tian Xiong Ba and others who had stepped into divine level strength could defeat their enemies in a single move, never needing a second. At that time, they were all under the command of the Thunder Origin Sword God. The power of the Thunder Origin Sword God is unimaginable.”

Zhuge Wuwei continued.

Zhou Yan nodded firmly, feeling somewhat better in his heart.

In fact, it wasn’t Jiang Tianling’s strength that had struck him, but the matter with the Holy Daughter.

However, having gone through so much, Zhou Yan understood that even though the Holy Daughter was the first to propose extracting the perfect soul, there must be deeper reasons behind it. Even if there weren’t, the Holy Daughter Jiang Yuning’s willingness to accompany him in this “pigsty” of the Nine Origin Universe and share a bond through three lifetimes was evidence enough of her sincerity.

As Jiang Tianling said, what status did the Holy Daughter have, and what status did he, Zhou Yan, have?

Did the Holy Daughter’s actions not demonstrate her sincerity?

Besides, she had never been insincere. She had engaged in the spiritual dual cultivation with him, and her body was revealed to him without any cover, to be caressed and taken liberties with. In this process, there was not a moment of impatience or reluctance, but a genuine willingness to give everything to him.

The Holy Daughter had always had many secrets, which Zhou Yan was aware of but never questioned.

He also knew of the secrets of the Thunder Origin Sword God that the Holy Daughter was aware of, but it wasn’t something he cared about.

Now, why should he be so upset and feel that the Holy Daughter was wrong because of a single remark by Jiang Tianling?

Having thought it through, Zhou Yan’s thoughts became unblocked.

“You’ve all worried on my behalf.”

Zhou Yan finished the last sip of his wine and then spoke.

This time, his words carried a true sense of presence, and the former sense of indomitable spirit returned in full.

“Indeed, the losses of the geniuses from Guanghan South Mansion were tremendous. This time, we will have to rely on you to lead. It’s good that you can stand up again!”

Saint Yao spoke with approval.

Zhou Yan smiled knowingly and said, “Has the selection result for the Nine Origin Heavenly City come out yet? This idea of integrating the most talented seems, now, to be excellent for the Nine Origin Reincarnation. The strong get stronger, and perhaps only through brutal and intense competition can geniuses truly shine with dazzling brilliance.”

“Yes, making that decision at first seemed somewhat inappropriate, but now it seems that while it provides the stronger ones with ‘seeds’ faster, it is also the best opportunity.”

Fairy Die spoke.

At this time, seeing Zhou Yan and numerous other geniuses stand up again from that blow, the saints both within the Void and on the Secondary Main Peak breathed a sigh of relief.

Saint Yao then said, “You haven’t seen some of your friends in a long time, so you should catch up in private. Although today, Zhou Yan, you didn’t have your wishes fulfilled, regardless, everyone’s intentions were clear. Zhou Yan, you should host a feast.”

“Indeed, I should,”

Zhou Yan said with a hearty voice.

Although there was still some bitterness in his heart, reality often was this harsh, and he could only make the best of a bad situation.

…

“Feng Jiu Xian, I need to return to Nirvana Ancestor Star for a while; after all, that place is my ancestral home. Considering the events this time, there are some things that I can’t avoid and must face.”

After the feast, Feng Jiu Xian came to bid farewell to Zhou Yan.

“Your potential is sufficient to enter the Nine Origin Heavenly City, and you will have to go there afterward, so I’ll accompany you on this trip. Coincidentally, I need to visit the Heavenly Heart Secret Realm near Nirvana Ancestor Star.”

Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then said.

“You… Zhou Yanxuan, thank you.”

Feng Jiu Xian’s eyes brightened, expressing surprise and gratitude.

“I’ve said that I would help you solve all your troubles, and my friends took risks to celebrate with me, keeping their promises. My promise will also certainly be kept.”

Zhou Yan said resolutely.

Saying this, Zhou Yan patted Hou Chen’s head and said, “Chenchen, this time, you should also accompany your master on this journey. Take your mind off things a bit and understand the gains and losses faced in confronting Jiang Tianling. Learn to confront failure and rise again after breaking down.”

“Yes, Master,”

Hou Chen said through gritted teeth.

Hou Chen hadn’t attended the feast that night and had seemed lost the entire time.

At this moment, his eyes were full of blood and red veins, looking quite frightening.

Zhou Yan knew that Hou Chen hadn’t yet overcome this barrier of the spirit. If he couldn’t overcome it, Hou Chen might never achieve anything significant again.

But Zhou Yan believed that Hou Chen would be able to face this failure squarely and step out of the shadow of Jiang Tianling’s terrifying strength.