Library of Heaven’s Path

He had heard far too many people raising the name ‘Kong Shiyao’ before him. She was rumored to be the strongest expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, possessing superior talents in cultivation. It was said that she did not pale in comparison to him.

There was a time when he had thought that Luo Ruoxin’s true identity was Kong Shiyao, but his deductions had fallen through.

Seeing the person whom he had heard so much about in the flesh, he could not help but take a closer look to assess her closely.

It had to be said that the rumors were not completely unfounded. Not only was she blessed with impeccable looks, she also emanated an ethereal aura reminiscent of a deity. It was hard to pull one’s gaze away from her.

Luo Ruoxin carried a lofty aura that pushed others away from her, making her hard to approach. On the other hand, Kong Shiyao carried an aura that induced others to trust and submit to her, the aura of a natural leader. Many would willingly lay down their lives for her under her command.

Formidable master teachers are able to draw the gazes of others with just their presence. This is the first time I have seen someone who is able to bring this quality out to such an extent. It seems like Kong Shiyao has truly inherited Kong shi’s bloodline, Zhang Xuan thought.

Kong shi’s lineage was truly extraordinary.

In terms of cultivation, Kong Shiyao was at Sempiternal realm consummation as well, the same as him. She had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage yet, but the aura in her body felt condensed and heavy. Most likely, her fighting prowess exceeded that of ordinary Ancient Sages.

This was really the first time that Zhang Xuan had seen someone whose talents were at a level similar to his.

“Since you are aware that you are a descendant of Kong shi, you should also know of the responsibilities that you have to shoulder. We can afford to lose our lives, but you have to remain alive regardless of what it takes!”

“The descendants of Kong shi don’t fear death!” Kong Shiyao replied in determination. “I carry the purest bloodline of Kong shi within me, so I’m the best candidate to stabilize the space here. There’s no point arguing about this matter!”

Seeing that Kong Shiyao’s mind was set, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was silent for a moment before sighing deeply. “Shiyao, you are still young, and there’s a long way ahead of you. I am just a pile of old bones who is going to reach the limits of his lifespan soon. There’s no need for you to give up your life for this. This matter isn’t open for negotiation…”

As he spoke, he suddenly waved his hand.

A sudden outburst of energy shrouded Kong Shiyao and sealed her on the spot, rendering her unable to move.

“Ancient Sage Yan Qing!”

Not expecting Ancient Sage Yan Qing to make such a move, Kong Shiyao exclaimed in a fluster. A mixture of panic and anxiety welling up in her caused tears to brim in her eyes.

But unmoved by Kong Shiyao’s expression, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Yan Xue and sternly commanded, “Take care of her well. Even at the expense of your life, you can’t allow any harm to fall upon her!”

“Yes!” Yan Xue replied resolutely.

Ancient Sage Yan Qing closed his eyes for a short moment before looking at the other Ancient Sages and nodding. “Let’s begin.”

As he spoke, a decisive and powerful aura gushed forth from his body. With the other Ancient Sages around cooperating with him, they swiftly formed a massive pillar of light that surged right into the void.

The rumbling of thunder echoed from the void in space, and innumerable powerful surges of energy clawed at the rift, seemingly intending to climb their way out to unleash their horrors upon this world.

Is this… the Zhenqi of Slaughter of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?

Feeling this aura, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a little. He pondered deeply for a moment before shaking his head.

No, that’s not it. It feels even heavier than the Zhenqi of Slaughter, almost like mercury. My meridians wouldn’t be able to take the burden if I absorbed it…

Zhang Xuan’s face turned even more grim at the realization.

The energy beyond the rift was similar to the Zhenqi of Slaughter, but it took on an even more bizarre form. Even with his current strength, he dared not to absorb it into his body recklessly.

Normal spiritual energy was lighter than water, so the meridians were still able to withstand its flow without falling apart. However, the same could not be said about the mercury-like energy above him. While it was also fluid, the chances were that its weight would crush his meridians and destroy his body from within if he dared absorb it.

This very energy was raging behind the rift, threatening to pour forth upon the world at any moment.

If it poured out of the rift, all of the cultivators of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers could very well explode on the spot once they came into contact with the energy.

What’s going on here? Zhang Xuan was horrified.

It was as if he was being exposed to a completely different side of the world that he had never seen before! If the seal failed to ward off the energy, it could possibly spell the end of the Kunxu Domain!

“Stand your ground and fend it off!”

While Zhang Xuan was still trying to make sense of what was going on, Ancient Sage Yan Qing slowly rose into the air. His hair flew around messily under the furious tug of the air currents.

He was serving as the very center of the formation created by the group of Ancient Sages, and he was responsible for channeling their energy toward the void.

Thunder growled forbiddingly in the air as the pressure from the void grew heavier and heavier. It was almost as if the sky was going to fall upon them.

At the same time, the faces of the Ancient Sages turned more and more severe as their black hair swiftly turned white.

They are putting their life force on the line to seal the rift.

It was no wonder they had aged so much within less than three months. It turned out that they had been expending their life force in order to maintain the seal before them.

The lightning in the air grew more and more concentrated, as if signifying the rage of the heavens.

Ancient Sage Yan Qing bit his finger and flicked his fresh blood toward the depths of the void. Following which, a humongous coffin vaguely emerged from the void.

The appearance of the coffin caused the rift to shrink a little, and the mercury-like power that was going to descend upon the world also cowered fearfully in its face. At the same time, the pressure crushing down on the crowd lessened significantly.

That coffin… Zhang Xuan thought with a frown.

It was already bewildering for there to be a coffin hidden in the midst of the void, but what was even more shocking to Zhang Xuan was the design of the coffin. To his astonishment, it was identical to the one that he had encountered prior to entering the Kunxu Domain, the one that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu’s corpse was stored in!

That coffin seems to be serving as the crux of the seal, Zhang Xuan swiftly analyzed.

This coffin was not made for the sole purpose of containing a corpse; rather, it seemed to be a powerful artifact that was used to sustain the formation sealing away the rifts in the air. It was due to the power of the coffin that the mercury-like power was unable to descend from the heavens and wreak havoc.

Most likely, there’s an Ancient Sage whose strength is on par with Ancient Sage Ran Qiu within the coffin, Zhang Xuan deduced.

The fact that the formation was able to prevent the mercury-like energy from descending evidenced its incredible prowess. Serving as the crux of the formation, there was no way the person within the coffin could be ordinary.

The seal at the entrance of Kunxu Domain used Ancient Sage Ran Qiu’s body as its crux, and even the Dimension Shatterer realm Vicious had been unable to break it open. Considering how this formation was even more powerful, it was hard to imagine how powerful the person had been back in his prime.

Jiya!

The coffin in the sky jolted intensely, and several slight cracks appeared by its sides.

“Open!”

Along with the appearance of the cracks, veins popped out on Ancient Sage Yan Qing’s temples. He swiftly sent a fresh stream of his blood toward the cracks of the coffin in order to further drive its opening.

However, due to the severe loss of blood, his face was turning as pale as a sheet of paper. His body trembled uncontrollably from his overexertion, and his skin quickly lost its suppleness, turning loose and wrinkly. It was only an instant, but he looked as if he had aged another ten years.

Boom!

The cracks on the coffin grew larger and larger under the influx of Ancient Sage Yan Qing’s blood, and soon enough, there was a massive explosion. Amid floating dust, a towering silhouette emerged from the coffin.

Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, there was indeed an Ancient Sage corpse placed inside the coffin. This silhouette was dressed in a flowing long robe, and he had smooth facial features that created a calming appearance. Even though he had been stored in the coffin for tens of thousands of years, his body looked no different from the time of his death. There was no hint of decomposition at all.

Could this person possibly be…

Looking at the corpse and Ancient Sage Yan Qing, a person’s name surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s mind, and his body stiffened.

Ancient Sage Zi Yuan… Yan Hui?