Zi Daoyang’s Death

Zi Daoyang's Death . . .

The City of Ancient Emperors was abuzz with tumultuous excitement as news of the astonishing changes to the Immortal Ascension Rankings spread like wildfire.

Qin Wentian, the charismatic leader of the Qin Sect, had orchestrated an audacious triumph over the formidable Eastern Sage Immortal Sect. This alone was enough to send shockwaves through the city. But what came next was even more bewildering. The eagerly awaited updated rankings unveiled a startling revelation—eleven of the top contenders, except for a mere three, were staunch members of the Qin Sect. It was a roster dominated by those who were either close companions of Qin Wentian or his loyal demonic beasts. The sheer audacity of this feat left many questioning the authenticity of these rankings.

In the blink of an eye, the Qin Sect had ascended to unrivaled supremacy, cementing their unassailable position as the foremost power in the City of Ancient Emperors. With a staggering eight of their members nestled within the top eleven rankings, this formidable group alone could easily challenge any other power in the city.

Qin Wentian's prowess had been witnessed firsthand by countless individuals. For the ordinary geniuses of the City of Ancient Emperors, the thought of facing even a single strike from him was a daunting prospect. Even formidable figures like Xiao Lengyue found themselves powerless against the might of Qin Wentian's attacks.

From being pursued relentlessly to soaring to the summit, Qin Wentian's journey had transformed him into a living legend, leaving an indelible mark on the City of Ancient Emperors.

As the news continued to spread, it was revealed that the Qin Sect's meteoric rise was a direct result of their miraculous encounter within the Antiquity City. Mo Xie, too, had ventured into the same enigmatic realm. Consequently, he maintained his second-place ranking, surpassing the once-untouchable Zi Daoyang.

However, rumors circulated that the Antiquity City had forcibly expelled them due to their relatively lower cultivation levels and sealed the path leading to it. Despite this, members of the Qin Sect, as well as countless other aspiring geniuses from the City of Ancient Emperors, embarked on perilous journeys to the Underworld Mountains. Their fervent desire was to bear witness to the truth themselves.

...

Meanwhile, a palpable chill enveloped Zi Daoyang as he arrived at the Violet Sect's headquarters. The sprawling edifices, once teeming with life and power, now stood in eerie silence. This sect, renowned as the pinnacle of the City of Ancient Emperors, commanded reverence from all who spoke its name. Yet, today, it lay desolate, echoing with the weight of Zi Daoyang's solitude.

The once-mighty Violet Sect, which had thrived under the glory of Zi Daoyang's name, now lay in ruins, a shadow of its former self. Zi Daoyang's crushing defeat and his subsequent abandonment of Xiao Lengyue had shattered the foundation of the sect, scattering its members like leaves in the wind.

Under the cloak of night, a heavy silence enveloped the sect's deserted grounds. Zi Daoyang sat in solitary meditation, cross-legged, his eyes closed in deep concentration. His body pulsed with the flow of his internal energy as he sought to mend his battered form. Qin Wentian's ferocious spear strike had been a nearly insurmountable force, wreaking havoc on his internal organs and leaving him gravely injured. It would take an extended period of painstaking recovery to mend his shattered body.

A violet radiance emanated from Zi Daoyang, casting an ethereal glow that stretched into the heavens, shielding him from prying eyes as he silently worked on his cultivation.

Amid the moonlit darkness, a mysterious figure shrouded in voluminous black robes hovered at the edge of the Violet Sect's compound. The robes, vast and billowing, concealed the figure within completely. Not a hint of aura leaked from this enigmatic presence, rendering them virtually invisible. It was as though the very fabric of the robes possessed an uncanny ability to cloak their existence.

The flowing black robes drifted soundlessly through the air, inching ever closer until they came to a halt before the wall separating Zi Daoyang's cultivation area from the rest of the headquarters. This shadowy figure, like a wraith in the night, remained utterly concealed, defying detection even if they stood directly in someone's line of sight.

Silently, the enigmatic figure drew nearer, shrouded in complete silence. Zi Daoyang, engrossed in his cultivation, remained oblivious to the approaching presence. Within him, energy surged and violet light flooded the night sky. But even as powerful as Zi Daoyang was, with senses finely attuned to his surroundings, he failed to detect the lurking danger. It was a deviation from his usual vigilance, especially for someone of his caliber.

Unbeknownst to Zi Daoyang, the mysterious figure continued their stealthy advance, their presence unfelt and undetected.

Then, in a moment that broke the stillness of the night, a faint sound reverberated through the air. Zi Daoyang snapped to attention, his senses tingling with a heightened sense of peril. He retracted his aura, his violet energy subsiding, and his eyes snapped open, searching for the source of the disturbance.

A surge of perception surged forth, a violet ripple that swept through the surroundings. Yet, despite its probing reach, nothing unusual presented itself. The tendril of perception extended toward the figure shrouded in black robes, passing through them as though they were naught but an insubstantial phantom. The robes seemed to merge seamlessly with the darkness, and the figure beneath remained elusive, a void within the void.

Zi Daoyang sighed, a hint of suspicion gnawing at him. He hadn't expected to become so paranoid after his recent defeat. He cast his perception wide once more, but it revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

With a slight shake of his head, Zi Daoyang returned his gaze to the heavens above. He closed his eyes, resuming his cultivation practice, though a sense of unease lingered, lurking at the edges of his consciousness.

Beyond the periphery of the secluded area, the enigmatic figure concealed beneath the flowing black robes hovered with unwavering patience. Their presence merged seamlessly with the darkness, their movements silent and deliberate. They watched and waited, biding their time.

Within the confines of the cultivation ground, Zi Daoyang's intense meditation continued, his body aglow with a radiant violet light that shielded him from the outside world.

The figure within the black robes remained still, contemplating their next move, their eyes locked on Zi Daoyang. They carefully considered their approach, the seconds stretching into minutes.

Then, in an electrifying moment, the flowing black robes surged into action. Swift and purposeful, they flowed like an ebony river into the cultivation ground, coming to an abrupt halt about a hundred meters from Zi Daoyang. It was as if they were weighing their options, a predator sizing up its prey.

—Bzz!— A brilliant surge of violet energy erupted from Zi Daoyang, enveloping him in an otherworldly glow.

Simultaneously, a sinister-looking saber materialized from within the black robes, shimmering with malevolent darkness. It descended with a deadly intent, a strike so swift and merciless that it left no room for defense. At this close range, evasion was impossible.

Time appeared to stretch thin as the attack unfolded. An expression of sheer disbelief flickered across Zi Daoyang's face. What he had sensed earlier was indeed true. Yet, even as he locked eyes on the flowing black robes before him, he found himself unable to detect any aura or presence.

… Puchi… The wicked saber of darkness cleaved down, aiming unerringly for Zi Daoyang's throat. Blood erupted, and a stark expression of terror flashed across Zi Daoyang's features.

Zi Daoyang, the reigning top-ranked expert of the Immortal Ascension Rankings, an unrivaled figure in the City of Ancient Emperors, was now the hunted. The sinister saber radiated a palpable malevolence as it tore through him, ravaging his body from within. His throat was all but severed, and the force had twisted his head at an unnatural angle.

The flowing black robes drifted forward, hovering in the air, and a shadowy figure emerged from within their depths. The silhouette was oddly familiar to Zi Daoyang, but the eyes that regarded him were cold and devoid of mercy.

…Pu… Zi Daoyang struggled to speak, but all that emerged was another gush of blood. His neck bled profusely, and with his head twisted askew, communication was an impossibility.

Before him, the figure stepping forth from the flowing black robes extended an enormous hand and pressed it firmly against Zi Daoyang's head. A burst of eerie runic light flashed, and dark-hued runes emerged from Zi Daoyang's form, drawn inexorably into the colossal palm. Those cold, unfeeling eyes remained fixed on Zi Daoyang, exuding an unsettling calm that sent waves of terror and despair coursing through his being.

Even in his final moments, Zi Daoyang couldn't fathom the idea that his death would unfold within the hallowed halls of the Violet Sect, right in the heart of the City of Ancient Emperors.

This was Zi Daoyang, the unrivaled champion of the Immortal Ascension Rankings, the illustrious son of the Violet Emperor himself. Yet, here he was, on the precipice of a gruesome demise at the hands of an enigmatic assailant.

Zi Daoyang, the mightiest of them all, was about to meet his end.

From the outset, the mysterious figure had uttered no words and harbored no intentions of granting Zi Daoyang an escape. As Zi Daoyang drew his final breath, the assailant methodically stripped him of his belongings, donned the flowing black robes once more, and shrouded themselves within. An evil grin crept across the assailant's face, culminating in a devastating blast that obliterated Zi Daoyang's head before vanishing into the void, leaving behind only silence and darkness.

…

Within the hallowed confines of the Qin Sect, Qin Wentian engaged in his own cultivation. He had sealed his personal cultivation grounds with a powerful formation, leaving only a sacred treasure cauldron within its boundaries. With an unyielding focus, Qin Wentian stepped into the cauldron.

Inside the cauldron, the brilliance of the Sacred Luminance poured down in cascading rays. Qin Wentian stood with his hands behind his back, bathed in the divine radiance. Though he had previously undergone the Sacred Luminance baptism, its effects would no longer be as pronounced. His primary reason for residing within the cauldron was to study and decipher the innate techniques inscribed therein.

Countless intricate runes adorned the cauldron's interior, and Qin Wentian gazed upon them intently. These runes, profound and overwhelming, formed a mesmerizing web of complex diagrams. Qin Wentian's brow furrowed in deep concentration as he sought to unravel their mysteries.

"There are numerous potent innate techniques here." His eyes sparkled like lightning, fixated on the intricate runes that contained an unmistakable aura of balefulness. This cauldron, an ancient relic, bore depictions of formidable mythical creatures etched within its walls.

Qin Wentian closed his eyes, diving deep into his meditation. The runes imprinted themselves in his memory as he sat at the center of the cauldron, their intricate patterns spiraling around him in a hypnotic dance.

"Dragon!" Qin Wentian exclaimed as he envisioned an awe-inspiring dragon, soaring to the heavens and shattering the very firmament.

"Divine turtle… Xuanwu!" His eyes widened in awe as he beheld the colossal divine turtle, its indomitable defense seemingly impervious to any threat.

"Roc!" Qin Wentian marveled at another scene, a magnificent roc with wings spanning an incredible 90,000 meters, dominating the skies with its unparalleled swiftness.