Chapter 252 - 149: Immortal Slayer 3

It had been delayed for so many years.

The World-Devouring Whale had never stopped its work.

It had gnawed a huge gap between the Cultivation Realm and the Lower Realm, and the boundary between them now had only a few final points of connection left.

—These points of connection were the Immortal Sects that the Cultivators used to anchor the two worlds.

It wasn’t that the World-Devouring Whale didn’t want to chew through these anchor points.

But doing so would attract the attention of the Cultivation Realm. If the Immortal Palace found out that the Lower Realm was about to break away, there was no telling what kind of insane things those bastards might do.

Therefore, it was up to Li Chang’an to exert one last burst of strength to completely sever the connection between the Immortal Sects and the Cultivation Realm.

...

「On this day.」

Li Chang’an stood atop the cloud-piercing walls of Slaying Immortal Pass, gazing up at the afterglow of the setting sun.

Back when the war with the Cultivators had just begun, the very first thing Li Chang’an did was pay a terrible price to forcibly seal off the passage at Slaying Immortal Pass.

As far back as a thousand years ago, disciples from the Immortal Palace still came down through Slaying Immortal Pass, trying to claim ownership of this Immortal Sect.

But after Li Chang’an killed several hundred of them in succession, the Immortal Palace disciples finally lost the courage to use this Immortal Sect to enter the Lower Realm.

For nearly a thousand years, both sides had coexisted peacefully.

The reason Li Chang’an had been willing to pay such a great price to seize an Immortal Sect was precisely to prepare for the current situation.

You could say this place was the beginning of everything.

And also its end.

Su Ying walked up behind Li Chang’an, wrapped her arms around him, and held him for a long time before speaking. "Are you getting ready to leave us behind?"

Li Chang’an smiled. "My mission isn’t over yet. I won’t leave you behind!"

Su Ying smiled back, but the look on her face showed she clearly didn’t believe him.

She caressed his face, greedily taking in his scent.

At that moment, her expression was a mix of sorrow, confusion, and pain—utterly complex.

The two of them nestled together under the setting sun for a long time. Su Ying asked about his upcoming plans, but Li Chang’an didn’t answer, only meeting her question with silence.

Li Chang’an had never told anyone about the World-Devouring Whale.

Not even Su Ying or Leng Yanran knew the specifics. They only knew he had a secret plan, one that could save this world.

Now, at the most critical juncture, Li Chang’an was even less likely to let the secret out.

So, no matter how Su Ying probed, Li Chang’an showed no intention of revealing a single detail, only telling her not to overthink it.

Just as he finally managed to comfort Su Ying, Leng Yanran arrived.

Leng Yanran knew more about this matter than Su Ying did, and she also had a much clearer understanding of Li Chang’an’s temperament and personality.

Thus, upon finding Li Chang’an, Leng Yanran said directly, "No matter what you’re planning to do next, I’m going with you. You have to take me with you!"

With her, Li Chang’an couldn’t just brush her off. He could only give a wry smile and nod. "Once I figure out exactly what to do, I’ll come find you, and we’ll pull off something big together!"

He definitely couldn’t tell her the truth.

Otherwise, with Leng Yanran’s personality, she would rush over no matter the cost if she found out.

But Li Chang’an’s plan required no help from start to finish. He could do it alone.

Not only did he not need help, but having too many people around would likely do more harm than good, tying his hands during the fight.

So, Li Chang’an lied to Leng Yanran.

This lie might make Leng Yanran resent him for many years, but for now, he could only deceive her temporarily. As for the future, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Only after getting Li Chang’an’s promise did Leng Yanran leave, reassured.

Because the Cultivators had been uncharacteristically quiet lately, there weren’t many Martial Artists in the patrol teams on the city walls.

After Su Ying and Leng Yanran left, the top of the wall quickly became deserted again. Only the distant sunset slowly cast its light, dyeing the ground in a blood-red afterglow.

Amidst the crimson glow, a few soldiers in somewhat tattered robes were drinking and singing. A sigh mingled with the songs and the aroma of wine, then faintly dissipated. "Farewell, until we meet again!"

No one knew when Li Chang’an had left.

No one knew where he went, and no one knew what he did.

The many Martial Artists of the Liyang Empire only knew that on the day he disappeared, the heavily guarded Immortal Sects of the Cultivation Realm also vanished at the same time.

The Lower Realm also seemed to have broken free from the Cultivation Realm’s control.

It had returned once more to the boundless Void.

One rumor said that the Martial Arts God, Li Chang’an, had gone to the Cultivation Realm and slaughtered them so thoroughly that they were utterly terrified. In their fear, the Cultivation Realm had sealed their Immortal Sects, no longer daring to have any contact with the Lower Realm.

Another rumor claimed that the Martial Arts God had single-handedly sealed the portals connecting to the Cultivation Realm, using his own body to block the passage to the Lower Realm...

The rumors were numerous and varied, with no end to them.

The only thing the many Martial Artists of the Liyang Empire could be sure of was this: the disappearance of the Martial Arts God, Li Chang’an, was definitely related to the Immortal Palace and the Cultivators.

No longer threatened by the Cultivators, the Liyang Empire felt a mix of joy and teeth-grinding resentment.

Although they had escaped the Cultivation Realm’s control, the Martial Artists had not forgotten their deep-seated, bloody feud with the Cultivators.

Afterward, Su Ying and Leng Yanran took charge of the Liyang Empire. They bided their time year after year, continuously accumulating all kinds of knowledge in technology and the Martial Dao.

In order to achieve a higher level of Cultivation.

They also found ways to elevate the world’s level and build a good relationship with the World Consciousness...

With these multi-pronged efforts, the Liyang Empire soon began a new era of vigorous development.

Aside from ensuring their own survival, the Liyang Empire spent most of the following years constantly searching for Cultivators and seeking news of the Martial Arts God’s whereabouts.

The war was still ongoing.

But it was a war Li Chang’an would clearly never see in this lifetime.

...