Shocked Awake

Shocked Awake

Qin Wentian didn't rush to leave. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and reflected on his experiences from the past year. While his cultivation level remained the same, his inner state had undergone a profound transformation. Particularly, his second-level insights into the Mandate of the Sword had seen remarkable improvements.

He delved into the sword manual, and as the intricate knowledge imprinted itself upon his mind, he couldn't help but marvel at the complexity and power of the Seven Annihilations Swordplay. This sword art was capable of matching, if not surpassing, the Heavenly Swordplay, one of the nine ultimate arts.

However, for some mysterious reason, the Seven Annihilations Swordplay didn't hold the same prestigious status as the Heavenly Swordplay among the nine ultimate arts. Qin Wentian wasn't aware of the specific criteria, but he knew that to learn this sword art, one's sword heart had to reach a certain elevated state. He had spent an entire year achieving the oneness with the sword, an extraordinary state that allowed him to control all the swords in the Sword Forest with a single thought. This was the fundamental level of sword mastery required to even begin comprehending the Seven Annihilations Swordplay.

Fortunately, Qin Wentian possessed an exceptional comprehension ability, surpassing that of most ordinary cultivators. Some might spend five, ten, or even their entire lives in the Sword Forest without ever achieving the state he had reached. Comprehension was an innate trait, and some individuals might never attain it in their lifetime. Yet, once someone comprehended a concept, they could grasp its intricacies effortlessly.

Although the Seven Annihilations Swordplay was not among the nine ultimate arts, its initial requirements were already exceedingly stringent, limiting the number of people who could cultivate it.

The Seven Annihilations Swordplay: Annihilation with a single step; annihilation with a single finger thrust; annihilation with a mere thought. Even gods and demons would tremble before its might.

Qin Wentian closed his eyes and began cultivating this formidable technique. His body emitted no trace of sword intent now. He had reached a new realm where his sword might surged explosively in an instant, overwhelming in its power.

Days passed in quiet contemplation as Qin Wentian felt his cultivation advancing incrementally. The vortex of astral energy absorption within his sword-aligned Yuanfu spun at an astounding speed, dragging along his other Yuanfu. His Kingly Sword Astral Nova became increasingly substantial, and he stood at the threshold of a breakthrough.

Today, Qin Wentian concluded his cultivation and ascended the next set of stairs, entering a new dimension.

In this dimension, hordes of demonic beasts roamed. A sinister surge of demonic qi enveloped him. Qin Wentian's face turned ashen—these demonic beasts were all at least at the second level of Heavenly Dipper. Their numbers seemed endless, stretching beyond the limits of his vision. The sheer multitude of beasts filled the dimension entirely, making it clear that trying to exterminate them all would only drain him of his strength.

A deafening roar echoed as several demonic beasts charged at him. Qin Wentian hesitated only for a moment before taking a step forward, unleashing the Seven Annihilations Swordplay and effortlessly dispatching the charging beasts. They were obliterated so completely that not even their bones remained. However, despite witnessing the gruesome fate of their comrades, the surrounding demonic beasts showed no signs of fear and continued their relentless charge.

Qin Wentian barely had time to react as the demonic beasts closed in. In an instant, four of his Astral Novas encircled him and unleashed their power. Wherever these Astral Novas touched, a trail of blood and gore followed—demonic beasts were obliterated. Among them, his Kingly Sword Astral Nova reigned supreme, its overwhelming sharpness effortlessly cutting down any demonic beast that approached Qin Wentian. With each step he took, more demonic beasts met their demise.

The relentless slaughter went on for a day, then two days, seemingly without end. Seven days later, Qin Wentian was utterly spent. He could do nothing more than engrave protective inscriptions and hold his ground, keeping the demonic beasts at bay. Weariness crept into his heart as he gazed upon the boundless expanse filled with endless waves of demonic beasts. Was there truly a way out of this dimension?

Had it not been for his expertise in Divine Inscriptions, he would have succumbed to exhaustion long ago under the unceasing onslaught.

...

Meanwhile, outside the Royal Tomb, an entire year had passed.

During this year, Grand Xia had been relatively tranquil, a stark contrast to the bustling life before the Heavenly Fate Ranking event. Each transcendent power was preparing itself for the imminent storm that would soon engulf Grand Xia.

The reason for this newfound calm was the earth-shaking conflict between transcendent powers that erupted shortly after the Heavenly Fate Rankings concluded.

Throughout this conflict, three Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants had fallen, all of them from the Great Solar Chen Clan, including a third-level Celestial Phenomenon Ancestor. The once-dominant Great Solar Chen Clan had been completely annihilated, becoming the second transcendent power to meet such a fate, following in the footsteps of the Nine Mystical Palace.

This war sent a clear message to Grand Xia: even transcendent powers could crumble, and when they did, all future sources of trouble were eliminated by the victors.

As a result, the younger generation members and disciples of the transcendent powers adopted a much lower profile during this period. The examples of the Nine Mystical Palace and the Great Solar Chen Clan served as stark reminders: these two mighty powers had been vanquished by a young man they had once looked down upon when he was still an inexperienced youth.

In this year, Jun Yu from the Pill Emperor Hall summoned Ascendants from Grand Shang and formed an alliance with the Hua Clan and the Wang Clan. They were determined to find any traces of Qin Wentian and Fairy Qingmei. As long as Qin Wentian was alive, the Pill Emperor Hall couldn't rest easy. Qin Wentian was viewed as a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Yet, Qin Wentian, Fairy Qingmei, and their forces had concealed their presence so well that no traces remained. Even when their investigations extended to the remote Celestial Lake Palace in the Demon Continent, they found nothing. It was as if anything connected to Qin Wentian had vanished into thin air.

The vastness of Grand Xia made it nearly impossible to locate someone deliberately hiding.

At that moment, disciples from the Pill Emperor Hall were stationed outside the Royal Tomb, but they weren't alone. Representatives from various transcendent powers had also dispatched their experts as guards. Occasionally, they would send individuals inside, yet none of them ever returned. It was as if those who entered vanished into thin air, including Ouyang Kuangsheng and the others who had ventured inside earlier.

The situation grew so dire that Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants banded together to attack the Royal Palace, but their efforts were in vain. The underground palaces proved impervious to external attacks, leaving these formidable beings baffled. Some even speculated that those who entered the Royal Tomb were destined never to return.

...

Meanwhile, Qin Wentian continued his life of ceaseless slaughter, losing track of the countless demonic beasts he had dispatched and the Yuan Meteor Stones he had consumed. He finally moved beyond his current location, only to be confronted by an unending horde of third-level Heavenly Dipper demonic beasts. With nowhere else to turn, he plunged ahead, relentlessly cutting through his foes.

This brutal trial pushed him to the brink of madness, but he had no other option. All he could do was press forward, clinging to the hope of finding an exit from this nightmarish dimension.

Time lost all meaning, and Qin Wentian felt as though he had plunged into an endless nightmare. Then, one day, he spotted a majestic structure in the distance. His heart surged with joy; the relentless slaughter was coming to an end. He fought his way toward it and entered the structure, only to find himself back in the grand hall of the Royal Tomb, face-to-face with the Vermilion Bird.

Qin Wentian paled as he stared at the Vermilion Bird, realizing that everything he had experienced had been an illusion. The Vermilion Bird explained that he had chosen the most challenging path, and these years of trials had tempered him. Everyone else had already left the Royal Tomb, but his enemies stood guard outside. The Vermilion Bird offered to send him out.

Qin Wentian's face showed his inner turmoil. All the grueling years of relentless beast-slaying were nothing but an illusion?

The Vermilion Bird's power enveloped him, and the fabric of space itself trembled. When Qin Wentian opened his eyes, he found himself some distance away from the ancient kingdom in Ginkou. Spotting the guards posted by various transcendent powers, he quietly slipped away.

With his two true-bodies sharing intent and thoughts, Qin Wentian knew where Fairy Qingmei was. A few days later, he arrived in Sky Harmony City in Chu. There, he found his father, Qin Chuan, and his elder sister, Qin Yao, filling him with joy and alleviating some of his weariness.

Fairy Qingmei and Qing`er were also there, by his side.

"Crap," Fairy Qingmei muttered, sensing that something was amiss. Qin Wentian's head snapped up as a horrifying aura descended upon them from a distance. Moments later, Jun Yu, leading an army of Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants and Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns, arrived on the scene. They unleashed their constellations and Astral Novas, shrouding the entire sky.

"I've been followed," Qin Wentian realized, his heart racing and his face drained of color. Jun Yu's voice cut through the tension. "To think that you all chose to hide in such a remote city. Now that we've found you, you will all die here today."

As Jun Yu spoke, Qin Chuan and Qin Yao let out anguished screams and collapsed, lifeless.

"No!" Qin Wentian roared in fury, his eyes ablaze with rage. The Ascendants closed in on Fairy Qingmei.

"Run!" she screamed at him. But Qin Wentian remained paralyzed, overwhelmed by the tragedy unfolding before him. Qing`er, who had appeared silently, now stood protectively in front of him, as if she had always been there to shield him.

The Qin Clan of Sky Harmony City was annihilated, and under the siege of so many powerful adversaries, Fairy Qingmei, too, met her demise.

Qin Wentian's hands bled as he clenched his fists too tightly. He activated the Demonic Divinity Sacrificial Transformation again, transforming into a demon. However, this time he was swiftly overwhelmed by the Ascendants, their relentless attacks causing severe injuries before he could retaliate.

"Go!" Qing`er waved her hands, creating a spatial energy barrier around him.

Space distorted, and he felt himself being transported to another location. Qing`er stood silently, gazing at his departure. Her icy eyes melted, replaced by a warm smile. But soon after, the collective onslaught of the Ascendants reduced her to dust, scattering her remains in the unforgiving wind.

"Noooooo!"

That smile seared into his memory. In total anguish, he reappeared in a location outside Chu, staring blankly at his surroundings. His heart felt as though it had been shattered into a million pieces, and he yearned to join them in death.

They were all gone—his foster father, Qin Chuan, his elder sister, Qin Yao, Fairy Qingmei, and Qing`er—all because of his carelessness. In a desolate daze, resembling a madman, he felt his consciousness blur as indescribable pain consumed him. Death seemed like the only escape.

Was this his fate? Why was it this way? He wanted to cry out to the heavens, to ask what he had done to deserve this.

...

In a bamboo hut deep within a forest, a thousand miles from the Spirit Continent, Qing`er stood silently, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

Behind her, Qin Wentian's other true body lay unconscious. A year had passed, and Qin Wentian was gradually recovering. Even in his unconscious state, he could cultivate in his dreamscape, absorbing astral energy to aid his recovery.

"Qing`er!"

In the stillness of the bamboo hut, a sudden shout shattered the quiet. Qinger turned, a look of bewilderment on her face as she stared at Qin Wentian. Before she could react, a blur dashed towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Qinger stiffened, caught off guard. The bamboo flute she had been holding slipped from her grasp as her heart raced in response to this unexpected gesture.

Her head rested on Qin Wentian's shoulder as her eyes stared into the distance, her emotions in turmoil. Then, in a blink, she blinked her eyes and a new expression crossed her face, one that had never been seen there before.

"You're hurting me," Qing`er softly remarked. Qin Wentian had embraced her with such force.

The sweet sound of her voice snapped Qin Wentian back to reality. He released his hold and took a step back, relief washing over him as he saw Qing`er standing there unharmed. Thankfully, it was just a nightmare. He shuddered at the thought of how terrifying it had been.

"What happened?" Qing`er's voice remained cold, but it held a melodic quality that was pleasing to the ear. She observed the worry etched on Qin Wentian's face.

"My other self is trapped in an endless nightmare," Qin Wentian explained. "He's in a dimension that seems to be a nightmarish dreamscape created by the demons within him." He continued in a hushed tone, "We share an innate connection, and I can feel everything he's experiencing. But I have no way to awaken him from it." The fear in his eyes mirrored the terror of the dreamscape his other self was trapped in.