"Venerable One! Venerable One!"
Su Xiaomei's calls roused the Healer from his memories.
"Venerable One, look at this new divine ability I've learned! What do you think?"
As she spoke, the young girl opened her mouth and unleashed a black sword beam, radiating an aura of destruction, straight towards the Healer.
The black sword beam was fueled by the endlessly cycling power of the Five Elements, driven by a fearless, all-or-nothing intent, its edge sharpened by a world-devouring, all-consuming hunger. A single strike carried the power to shatter worlds!
It was hard to believe such power came from a child barely ten years old.
A flicker of approval crossed the Healer's eyes, but he didn't flinch, allowing the Annihilation Sword beam to strike him directly in the face. His flesh instantly transformed into a network of intersecting lines, like a giant net, slightly denting inwards as it effortlessly absorbed the attack. Golden light flickered on the countless lines, swarming and devouring the Five Elements Annihilation Sword beam, extinguishing its light as if it were ice melting into water.
Seeing this, Su Xiaomei pouted. "You really are strong, Venerable One. Even having achieved Nascent Soul through the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heavens, I'm still no match for you."
The Healer chuckled. "You've only been cultivating for a few days, little one. If you were to surpass me so quickly, where would I put my old face?"
He patted Su Xiaomei's head, his expression turning serious. "Your divine ability is impressive, unmatched among your peers. However…"
Su Xiaomei looked up, her eyes wide, eager to learn.
"…it's still far from true mastery of the Dao. For example, what is annihilation?" The Healer extended a finger, and black light, even deeper and more unfathomable than the Five Elements Annihilation Sword beam, emanated from it.
"True annihilation doesn't exist within the natural cycle of the world. What we call destruction is merely a prelude to rebirth."
"To touch true annihilation, you must venture into the depths of the Star Sea…"
"You're still too young. Grow stronger. Perhaps when you reach Dao Integration, you can try again," the Healer said, stroking his beard.
Su Xiaomei's face fell. "Dao Integration? That'll take forever! Forget it, I'm going to play with Senior Sister Zhao!"
With that, she vanished.
"Zhao Ruoxi…" The Healer murmured the name, a shadow crossing his face.
She was the former Sect Master of the Grand Dao Sect in the Xuanhuang World.
The Heavenly Law World's victory in the ancient war didn't mean all Xuanhuang cultivators had perished. Just as the Xuanhuang World had merged with the Heavenly Law World, some Xuanhuang cultivators were now part of their world. In fact, their victory had been largely due to these cultivators.
However, these cultivators were fair-weather friends. For the past millennia, while the Heavenly Law World faced numerous trials, they, already at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, remained largely unaffected.
But now…
The Heavenly Law World was about to fall into the Immortal Ruins. And these cultivators, each with their own agendas, were unwilling to truly help.
The Healer scoffed inwardly. Since they hadn't openly rebelled yet, he couldn't act against them. He would wait. For now, his priority was increasing his own cultivation.
His bright eyes gazed at the heavens, as if seeing the True Immortal comprehending the Dao within the Immortal Ruins.
"My power comes mostly from the Heavenly Law World's Heavenly Dao. Although I was unconscious for nearly ten thousand years, after devouring Xuanhuang, the world's power more than doubled, and so did mine…"
"Especially with the other Celestial Venerables dead, the Heavenly Law's Constant Dao is now entirely within me."
With a thought, the Healer's consciousness ascended, becoming the sky itself, the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Law World, gazing down upon the world.
Unlike other cultivation worlds, the Heavenly Law World didn't have a Heavenly Dao consciousness or a world consciousness. It only had the Heavenly Law's Constant Dao, operating like a machine since the beginning of time, unaffected by the will of living beings. As the saying went, the Heavenly Law was absolute, its rules inviolable.
Later, intelligent beings emerged who could resonate with the Constant Dao, becoming its enforcers. These individuals were known as "Venerables."
Tian Jue, Tian Yin, and Tian Yu were all Venerables of the Heavenly Law World. But they had all perished in the devastating war. Before their deaths, they had passed their accumulated understanding of the Constant Dao to the sole survivor, the Healer.
Thus, upon awakening, the Healer had become the unprecedented Grand Venerable of All Laws. In other cultivation worlds, he would be the equivalent of a Heavenly Dao incarnate.
With a single thought, he could reshape the landscape of the Heavenly Law World and control the weather.
"And unlike ordinary Heavenly Dao incarnates, my power doesn't just come from the Heavenly Dao consciousness."
"After millennia of resonance with the Constant Dao, the world's power has permeated my soul, becoming one with me. Even outside the Heavenly Law World, in the Star Sea, I can still wield eighty percent of my power."
"Escaping the Immortal Ruins alone is easy for me. I could even take hundreds, even thousands, with me."
"But taking the entire Heavenly Law World…" The Healer felt a sense of helplessness.
"Unless I possess power comparable to a True Immortal."
Since awakening, he had been exploring this possibility.
First, by studying the True Immortal residual power scattered throughout the Star Sea. He had deciphered some True Immortal Seal scripts, gaining a few powerful techniques, but they hadn't significantly increased his overall power.
Second, by harnessing the power of ancient immortal artifacts.
The Xuanhuang World had a deep foundation. It was even said that before the Immortal Realm's destruction, many of its sects maintained contact with the Upper Realm. If the Immortal Realm still existed, the Heavenly Law World would never have been a match for Xuanhuang.
Fortunately, the war had occurred years after the Immortal Realm's destruction.
But even so, Xuanhuang had used several immortal artifacts, causing heavy losses to the Heavenly Law World.
After the war, these artifacts were scattered. Most were devoured by the Heavenly Law's Constant Dao, becoming wondrous items that nourished the world. But some remained.
"The Boundless Mirror."
"The Great Sun Golden Bell."
"The Primordial Five Elements Disc."
These were the three immortal artifacts the Healer had collected. However, compared to their prime, they were now damaged. While useful for comprehending True Immortal power, actually using them… would likely destroy them after a single use.
Unless the Healer could find immortal spiritual energy to repair them.
The three artifacts, like three points of light, flickered within his consciousness sea. Insights into the Dao of Immortals flowed through his mind.
"The Immortal Ruins' suction is also a form of True Immortal Seal script power."
"Only immortals can fight immortals."
"Perhaps I can gather all the remaining immortal artifacts in the Heavenly Law World and detonate them simultaneously."
"Using poison to fight poison, the burst of immortal spiritual energy might be enough to propel the Heavenly Law World away from the Immortal Ruins."
As he thought this, the Healer suddenly sensed something amiss. He focused, his gaze drifting towards the Star Sea.
"Escape the Immortal Ruins… then what?" He felt a deeper secret hidden within the Star Sea, a feeling he couldn't ignore.
"The Heavenly Law World can still hold on for a while."
"I must investigate the depths of the Star Sea."
After a moment's thought, the Healer made his decision. He transformed into an almost imperceptible thread of light and flew towards the Dark Star Sea. Leaving the Heavenly Law World, he was pulled by the Immortal Ruins' suction, but with a graceful arc, he escaped its grasp.
He sped through the Dark Star Sea. All he saw was darkness and desolation. No matter how far he traveled, the scenery remained unchanged. The occasional remnants of immortal power posed no threat to him.
After an unknown amount of time, the vast Sea of Artifacts appeared before him. Awestruck by this magnificent yet tragic sight—the remnants of countless shattered cultivation worlds gathered in one place—his curiosity was piqued.
He continued deeper.
The sight of the continuous world fragments and the increasingly familiar force, similar to the Immortal Ruins' suction, finally shocked him to his core. Countless once-thriving cultivation worlds, now reduced to ruins and fragments, lay scattered here.
A wave of sadness washed over the Healer. He stood motionless for a long time.
When he finally recovered, resisting the omnipresent, tide-like force, he reached the end of the Dark Star Sea.
His path was blocked. There was nowhere else to go. The Dark Star Sea was a prison.
"No way back…" Even the Healer himself was surprised by how quickly he accepted this reality. An invisible High Wall sealed off the entire Dark Star Sea, trapping all beings within.
Standing at the foot of the High Wall, experiencing the absolute "nothingness," after a brief moment of despair, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
"I can't let the beings of the Heavenly Law World know about the High Wall. Despair would spread, and chaos would ensue."
"This High Wall…"
"…is beyond my current comprehension. Perhaps only True Immortals can cross it."
Thinking of the fate of the Heavenly Law World resting on his shoulders, the Healer took a deep breath.
"True Immortal power can cross the High Wall. But taking the entire Heavenly Law World with me…"
"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!"
Shaken by this transcendental power, the Healer was briefly disoriented. But he didn't feel much despair. The invisible High Wall didn't seem insurmountable.
He projected golden threads, attempting to sense its secrets, but to no avail. Feeling he'd been at the edge of the Star Sea for too long, worried about the Heavenly Law World, he decided to return.
On his way back, looking at the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds, an idea came to him.
"These world corpses might be able to nourish the Heavenly Law World."
"They aren't completely dead. Some remnants of their life force remain."
"Like consuming food, the Heavenly Law World might grow stronger after absorbing them…"
The Healer immediately acted. He projected countless golden threads, attempting to pull away a fragment. But just as he was about to succeed, he stopped.
He observed the Great Wall of Shattered Worlds again.
"So, the reason these world fragments can withstand the accumulated True Immortal power at the foot of the High Wall is because of their naturally formed formation. Removing a fragment might disrupt the balance."
"Like a breached dam, the accumulated True Immortal power would flood the Dark Star Sea…"
"…engulfing even the Heavenly Law World."
The Healer frowned, then his expression relaxed.
"It's not impossible. I just need to choose the right fragment at the right time."
He observed again, selecting a suitable fragment. Sensing a lull in the True Immortal power's fluctuations at the foot of the High Wall, he seized the opportunity, his golden threads, like iron chains, wrapping around the target. He dragged it through the Star Sea towards the Heavenly Law World.
After an unknown amount of time, he returned.
The Immortal Ruins' suction pulled at him, but he held onto the world fragment, preventing it from falling.
"The Heavenly Law World hasn't 'fed' since devouring Xuanhuang millennia ago."
"Not only that, it's been constantly consumed by cultivators, its foundation severely weakened."
"Directly integrating this world fragment might be too much for it to handle."
The Healer nodded. "I need a catalyst."
"Xuanhuang cultivators, devouring heaven and earth, are insatiable. But their bodies are fused with the world, making them perfect catalysts."
"I shouldn't touch those Longevity realm cultivators yet. But sacrificing a few Dao Integration ones won't make much difference."
Five transparent threads, guided by his intent, shot towards different corners of the Heavenly Law World.
Five Dao Integration cultivators instantly fell unconscious, bound by the threads. The Healer showed no mercy.
He pointed at each of them, and without any visible pain, they turned into dust. He collected the dust and sprinkled it onto the world fragment.
Nourished by the power of the Heavenly Souls, a faint spark of life flickered within the shattered world, emitting a soft hum.
The Healer then carefully integrated it into the Heavenly Law World.
(End of Chapter)