Fallen immortals

​​"Is this... the sky is breaking?!"​​

At the Imperial Observatory Tower of Great Qin, Phoenix stared in shock at the distance. The azure sky had been pierced like a canvas, revealing a deep, endless void. It took a full cup of tea before the rift slowly began to heal.

In the Imperial Study, where the Emperor was conversing with officials, a general leaped through the window. Glancing at the jade pendant glowing faintly at his waist, then at the shattered sky, sweat poured down his face.

"By the heavens—Azure Dragon Formation recognizing a master, immortal arts descending into the mortal realm... How could these two events coincide?!"

"General, what's happening?!"

The Emperor's heart raced as he watched the sky mend. Anyone could tell—something momentous had occurred.

"The Young Master of the Zhao Clan has formally taken control of the Azure Dragon Formation. Meanwhile, some immortal art from parts unknown has breached the Great Thousand's barriers."

"This could be a clash of shields and spears—matters are escalating!"

Before he finished, the general strode to the stables, vaulted onto his steed, and vanished in a blur.

"Your Majesty, stay within the palace. All imperial guardians, stand ready. I'll investigate!"

Phoenix leaped from the tower, landing lightly on rooftops before disappearing.

A dozen monks, Taoists, and cultivators emerged from hidden corners, surrounding the study with grave expressions.

"...Things have indeed spiraled out of control."

The Emperor's face paled. Over recent days, the Grand General had shared much—revealing that the Martial Arts Academy and its role in safeguarding Great Qin were far more critical than he'd imagined.

The academy's master, too, wielded unfathomable power. The safety of tens of millions in Jade Capital rested on his shoulders.

As for immortals... They could reshape mountains and seas with a wave of their hand. If such a being entered the mortal realm, all secular powers would crumble.

"...Prince Barren Marsh is trembling nonstop, trying to flee," a guard reported.

But he'd barely taken a step before Zhao Xunan seized his shoulder. The prince collapsed, sobbing, clinging to Zhao Xunan's leg. Disgusted by his sniveling, Zhao Xunan kicked him away.

"Master—please don't kill my brother!" Xiao Nuo'er rushed over, clinging to Zhao Xunan's arm with a pleading look.

Zhao Xunan stroked her hair, chuckling. "Relax. Killing such trash would sully my hands. I've no interest in that."

He summoned the Li brothers, gesturing to the bloodied black-clad men on the ground. "An enemy seeks my life—I kill them. That's nonnegotiable."

"But Jade Capital isn't the Outer Three Mountains. These are just pawns, far beneath your level. Spare them where possible. Remember that."

Zhao Xunan spoke earnestly. In his past lives, he'd never understood—only now, in this life, had he truly grasped it. His disciples, though kind, were shaped by the wilds; their tempers ran too hot. He must guide them, lest they follow his old path of bloodshed.

The Li brothers saw Zhao Xunan not just as a mentor, but as a sage who'd given them hope. They nodded, memorizing his words.

Pleased, Zhao Xunan was about to speak further when his gaze drifted outside.

The Grand General rode a black steed, thundering toward the academy.

"...Now I see why the Supreme Elder spoke so highly of you," he said, dismounting with a laugh.

Zhao Xunan touched the jade tablet at his waist, realization dawning. The tablet, stained with his blood after Feng Ming's attack, had granted him true mastery of the Martial Arts Academy—and revealed its secrets.

The academy was no ordinary school. It was the hub of the Azure Dragon Formation, a divine artifact older than legend, predating even the Human Emperor's founding of the Ancestral Court.

Once called the Hall of Sages, it was one of the Human Emperor's greatest treasures, a stronghold that could fend off even great cultivators. After the Human Emperor severed the Celestial Path, he'd returned it to the banks of the Luo River to recover.

Over five millennia, it had reawakened. Within its walls lay another realm, a hidden paradise. Its master ruled this domain, wielding the academy's—and the Azure Dragon Formation's—full power.

Within these bounds, one could reign supreme.

As Zhao Xunan marveled, the Grand General vaulted from his horse, grinning. "So you've truly mastered the academy? How?!"

Zhao Xunan clasped his hands, explaining the blood-stained tablet incident.

The general slapped his shoulder, laughing. "Well done, kid!"

"Old Man Mo spent thirteen years nurturing that tongue-blood to master it. You did it with a single bloodstain!"

"Compared to you, his three hundred years of life were wasted!"

"Crack!"

Thunder suddenly struck. The general, now charred, fell silent. Zhao Xunan quickly clarified: "General, though Master Mo has left, his past actions left karma. I must speak carefully."

"...Even in death, he clings to old grudges. Typical."

The general fell silent as lightning flickered. Finally, he asked, "What about that immortal art? If it had struck Jade Capital, even the Azure Dragon Formation might've shattered!"

Zhao Xunan grinned, pointing to his Beauty Finger. "It's like this..."

He recounted the events, leaving the general shaking his head. "In just days, so much has happened. Being this academy's master isn't easy!"

"The immortal who drew that art—is he Feng Ming?!"

The general's eyes narrowed. Zhao Xunan nodded, gesturing to the still-sniveling prince. "If I heard right, that grandmaster of the Yin Food Sect is Feng Ming. The Barren Marsh Prince hired him, after all."

The prince, in black armor, flinched. "General, it was indeed Master Feng Ming of the Yin Food Sect!"

"The Left Path's Feng Ming?!"

"The very same. His reputation for cruelty is legendary across the Great Thousand."

"Zhao—you've done something earth-shattering!"

"No—two earth-shattering things!"

The general marveled. Seeing Zhao's confusion, he explained: "The only grandmaster-level cultivators in the open world are those of the Yin Food Sect, led by Feng Ming. He's infamous for draining talented cultivators' blood to fuel his own power. Hundreds of geniuses across the land have fallen to him.

"All nations have bounties on his head, but he's unbeatable—until today. This... this is fated!"

Zhao Xunan frowned, recalling Feng Ming's ease in killing him. Even a peak cultivator could fall so easily. What was the point of cultivation, then?

The general, sensing his doubt, chuckled. "Don't overthink it. That Beauty Finger of yours is unique."

"By the laws of the Great World, immortal remains shouldn't exist. But heaven has fifty paths—there's always an exception."

"Is there still... immortality in this world?" Zhao Xunan asked, a question that had haunted him through two lives.

Myths spoke of gods and immortals, but since the Mythical Era, none had been born. The Human Emperor's severing of the Celestial Path had only blocked access to hidden realms, not erased immortality.

The general shrugged. "Probably. But those who fall to the mortal realm are called 'fallen immortals'—like your Beauty Finger."

He continued: "Yours is the only one in the mortal realm, but a few exist in hidden realms. I once spoke with the Dao Palace's Grand Preceptor. He said not to fear immortals—they're just cultivators who've transcended limits, more powerful than most.

"But they have a quirk: annihilation without end.

"Annihilation without end... what does that mean?"

The general pondered. "The Grand Preceptor guessed it's a state of dissolution—even true annihilation isn't death for them. Given the right trigger, even nothingness can birth existence again."

Zhao Xunan still didn't understand. The general waved him off. "Don't ask me. I'm as confused as you. When you reach higher realms, you'll find answers.

"But remember—the Beauty Finger is powerful, but dangerous. Its current power is just a fraction of its ancient reserves. Once drained, it'll lose its ability to resist the world's laws. Then... disaster strikes.

"Keep it close, but beware. If that day comes, you'll need to act."

Zhao Xunan gripped the Beauty Finger, feeling its warm energy. "It's my talisman. Without it, I'd be dead. I'll be careful. If that day comes, I'll handle it."

The general nodded, then frowned at the Barren Marsh heirs. With the shield and spear crisis resolved, the royal dispute remained—a headache for a general focused on warfare.

"What do you plan to do with them?" He jerked his chin at Xiao Nuo'er, clutching Zhao Ping'er's hand, and the cowering prince.

Zhao Xunan sighed. "Xiao Nuo'er's my disciple—I'll protect her. But the prince... I'm not sure."

The general nodded, understanding.

Soon, palace officials arrived. After hearing the story, they rushed back for imperial decrees. Before long, Minister Wu Peiyang arrived in a carriage, out of breath from his weight.

"Minister Wu greets the General and Master Zhao!" He bowed, but the general stopped him. "Enough with the bows. Your girth'll have you collapsing. Try controlling that appetite!"

He pinched Wu's rotund belly—pure blubber, a knife would spray grease.

After hearing details, Wu nodded. "Though it involves a foreign royal, it's manageable.

"I'll register her at the Ministry of Rites as a student here to study medicine. The prince's bodyguards' bodies will go to the embassy. Their deaths will be explained as accidents—no need to involve Great Qin's citizens. Let the Barren Marsh handle it."

"Can a lowly embassy official handle this?" The general doubted.

Wu smiled. "Coincidentally, the Barren Marsh's Royal Steward passed through recently, staying at the embassy for 'medical treatment.' She's still there. Perfect for this."

The general nodded—this was no coincidence. The Royal Steward outranked even the Prime Minister, a high-ranking noble. Her presence with the prince and princess in a foreign land? No accident.

Within half an hour, a unit of gray-armored cavalry escorted a pure white carriage. Xiao Nuo'er spotted the elderly woman alighting and rushed into her arms, sobbing.

The woman soothed her, then turned to the prince, slapping his face twice. The prince, though a noble, didn't dare protest, bowing his head as she lectured.

Zhao Xunan and Wu exchanged a glance. This woman, who doted on Xiao Nuo'er yet slapped a prince, was no ordinary official.

After disciplining the prince, the woman approached, greeting Wu, then bowing deeply to Zhao Xunan. "Young Master Zhao, thank you for protecting Xiao Nuo'er these days."

Zhao Xunan helped her up, mindful of her seniority. "I thought the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was tricking us for money. Never imagined you'd actually cure her. On behalf of the Si Kong Clan, thank you!"

The woman bowed again. Zhao Xunan realized—she wasn't just a high-ranking official. She was family.