He Qingqing opened a passageway above the snow plains, intending for everyone from the Immortal Alliance and Thousand Canals to witness her might firsthand.
She truly succeeded. In Thousand-Ditch Prefecture, Hongfu Prefecture, and the surrounding miasma-filled forests and swamps, the pitch-black night sky transformed into a silvery expanse. No one could resist looking up at the snow plains above.
After stating her three conditions, Thousand Canals and its allies were filled with righteous indignation, cursing at the heavens.
Meanwhile, the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance cheered in unison, their cries of "Long live the Alliance Leader!" soaring to the skies.
"This war has dragged on for so long—even with the Ascension Pill, no one wants to fight anymore. The Alliance Leader's move has won the people's hearts!"
"Set an exorbitant price first, then bargain with them. Thousand Canals will have to compensate us with Spirit Stones."
"The Alliance Leader dares to stand against both King Song and the Sword God alone—she must be confident in defeating them. Let the people of Thousand Canals see this."
"Turning the ground into the sky, connecting two spaces. Only a Great Adept from ancient times could perform such divine power. Even the Sword God at his peak lacked this ability. The Alliance Leader is truly destined by fate."
In that moment, the cultivators, who revered strength and despised weakness, forgot their origins and sect affiliations, feeling an unparalleled sense of belonging to the Immortal Alliance.
He Qingqing stood atop the snow-capped mountain.
The world was silent, and within her sight were only Song Qianji and Xian Jianchen.
But she knew everyone was watching her. She was not at the edge of the continent but at the center of the world.
The howling wind in her ears seemed to transform into cheers, encircling and lifting her, carrying her straight into the azure sky.
It was then that Song Qianji voiced ten thousand disagreements.
His face showed no trace of anger, yet the Shadowless Sword hummed uncontrollably.
"What other conditions does King Song have?" He Qingqing asked.
Song Qianji replied, "This matter is not up for discussion, nor is there any need to discuss it. Once the Sky-Supporting Tree dies, this world will collapse and be destroyed. Your ambitions and grand plans are nothing but a fleeting illusion. Miss He, that person bestowed upon you power that does not belong to you, all to make you a pawn in his hands. Do you still not understand?"
He Qingqing said, "I am well aware that the Sky-Supporting Tree is declining, but it will last at least another five hundred years. Once I unify the Cultivation World, I will create a new world, allowing my people to thrive and multiply there. If you agree today, we will stand together in the future new world, and I will spare Thousand Canals."
Xian Jianchen chuckled lightly, "You wish to become a creator god? That aligns perfectly with that person's plan—a perfect executor of will."
The people of Thousand Canals and the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance shuddered at these words, their fervent cheers quickly dying down. The three figures conversing on the snow plains were the strongest in the present era, and ordinary cultivators knew they could never match their perception of the world's changes. They held their breath, listening intently to what these three had to say.
People vaguely sensed a vast, terrifying conspiracy emerging, one that would dictate the fate of every individual.
"What is King Song saying? The Sky-Supporting Tree upholds the heavens, eternal and unchanging. How could it die?!"
"But the Alliance Leader He admitted it. Could it be that this world truly has only five hundred years left?"
"If she establishes the new world, naturally, those who submit will prosper, and those who resist will perish. No one will be able to stop her then."He Qingqing gazed at Song Qianji: "You still don't believe I can do it. You think you're always right, and I'm always wrong. You've endured countless hardships, covered yourself in scars, all to retrieve the world's strongest sword..." He Qingqing paused, her profound gaze shifting to Xian Jianchen, "But does that sword truly exist at the edge of the continent?"
The mocking smile on Xian Jianchen's face stiffened slightly.
Song Qianji remained silent—this was a doubt he had long harbored.
Xian Jianchen carried too many secrets and a past he refused to share.
He had dragged along a sharp-tongued burden through eighty-one tribulations, finally reaching the western paradise, but was the "true scripture" that could save all beings truly there?
Xian Jianchen quickly regained his smile, more infuriating than before: "Little girl, did your master not teach you that sowing discord before a battle is hardly honorable?"
Since negotiations were impossible, a fight was inevitable.
"My master died young. And I've no need for such tricks." He Qingqing laughed, "Sword God, I respect you as a figure of repute. Go then, retrieve the world's foremost sword. If a single blade can sway victory, then I am unworthy to rule this world."
Xian Jianchen shook his head: "I've never met anyone more arrogant than my younger self—until now. Pity my sword was never meant for you."
Suddenly, he tossed an object through the air. Song Qianji caught it without blinking.
A transmitted voice echoed in his mind: "This sword is named 'Spilled Water.' Like 'Truth-Breaking,' it has no mental cultivation method or sword techniques to follow. Comprehension comes only through wielding it. This alliance leader shares old entanglements with you, and this confrontation seems designed to stall. I suspect it's his doing. I'll go ahead. Finish this quickly and meet me beneath the Sky-Supporting Tree."
The "Spilled Water Sword" resembled an emerald dagger—light, compact, and utterly unremarkable. Holding it felt like grasping weightless air. Song Qianji transmitted back: "You give me this now, instead of something formidable? Never mind. Without me to guide you, take care crossing the Ice-Cracking Abyss."
Xian Jianchen soared on clouds: "Spilled water cannot be gathered. It is you who should take care."
"Wait." Song Qianji opened his mouth, watching the retreating figure halt, yet unsure what to say.
Xian Jianchen glanced back with a smile, his black cloak floating in the wind and snow like drifting clouds: "Boy, have you suddenly realized you can't bear to part with your master?"
Song Qianji shouted: "We're in a hurry! Can't you move faster?!"
He Qingqing coldly declared: "He's severely wounded. He used you to reach the continent's edge. Once he obtains the sword, will he care if you live or die? He isn't worth your loyalty. Or do you fancy yourself a savior, capable of rescuing anyone?"
Surprisingly angered by Xian Jianchen's abrupt departure and "abandonment," she swept her sleeve fiercely across her zither strings.
A piercing melody erupted, string-shadows shooting forth as swirling snow converged like a raging torrent, assaulting the Shadowless Sword.
"I too once trusted no one." Song Qianji spoke softly, "And I am no savior. I only wish to return home and tend my fields. Why must you all stand in my way?"He lifted his gaze toward the raging snowstorm, hands forming seals: "Domain!" Open!"
"Boom!"
Dazzling golden light erupted!The people of Thousand Canals and the Immortal Alliance instinctively closed their eyes. When they reopened them, they saw a golden sea of wheat surging outward from Song Qianji, rapidly spreading in all directions until it covered half the snowfield.
The sky overhead transformed from a terrifying, cold expanse of white snow into a swaying wheat field rustling in the wind. The Thousand Canals folk felt both awestruck and deeply comforted:
"As expected of King Song’s divine power—truly remarkable. In King Song’s heart, our Thousand Canals and our farmlands matter most."
"If that Alliance Leader can alter heaven and earth, so can our King Song! Look at his wheat—each grain plump, every stalk lush. What fine farmland!"
"If I could cultivate such fertile land in my lifetime, I’d have no regrets left!"
He Qingqing plucked her strings repeatedly, causing the eighteen red jade beads to radiate brilliant light.
At times, the wheat waves swelled violently, overwhelming the wind and snow; at others, the blizzard raged fiercely, stripping the wheat ears.
While maneuvering his Domain to counter her, Song Qianji caught a glimpse of the rift in the sky and felt a twinge of embarrassment amid the chaos:
It’s all her fault for opening this passage. Now the whole world will know my Domain isn’t the least bit cool—it’s just a wheat field.
A wheat field it is, then. At least I don’t have to shout "good boy" in public.
Temporarily suppressed, He Qingqing demanded, "How much Spirit Qi does it cost to maintain your Domain? If you want to kill me, why not use your sword?"
Song Qianji possessed seven swords, making him the person with the most divine weapons in the world. He Qingqing had been waiting for him to draw his blade, ready to parry it.
"I never opened my Domain to kill you," Song Qianji formed a hand seal. "Withdraw!"
The wheat field vanished with the wind, and the snowfield reappeared.
But from deep within the earth came a rustling sound, growing clearer and converging like countless snakes awakening from hibernation.
Innumerable gray-black roots burst through the millennia-old permafrost and ice, struggling fiercely to climb onto the snowfield’s surface like living creatures fighting for survival.
They crisscrossed and tangled, covering the white snow with a layer of gray-black deathly aura.
"These are the roots of the Sky-Supporting Tree. How can this be…" He Qingqing stared in shock.
"My Domain was born from the Fountain of Immortality, saturated with its essence. The Sky-Supporting Tree is on the verge of withering, desperately craving vitality, which is why it’s drawn to it."
The deepest secret he had concealed since his rebirth was now spoken aloud, revealed to everyone.
The closer they were to the continent’s edge, the denser the Sky-Supporting Tree’s roots became. Elsewhere, such an effect would be impossible.
Witnessing this scene, both cultivators and mortals felt their hearts tremble with dread.
"You drain the pond to catch the fish, exploiting without restraint. The Sky-Supporting Tree is already pushed to its limits—who can lend you another five hundred years?" Song Qianji shouted. "Lady He, I ask you once more: Is all this truly what you desire?!"
The Immortal Alliance erupted in uproar.
"Could Song Qianji be telling the truth? Is the Great Cataclysm imminent?"
"Alliance Leader He used the sap of the Sky-Supporting Tree to create Ascension Pills, accelerating the world’s demise!"
But they heard He Qingqing reply, "You underestimate me too much. You’ve exhausted your trump cards, but I still have one left. This passage I opened isn’t just for show!"
She raised her hand, and a delicate, pulsating crimson seed materialized in the air.
With each beat, torrential life force surged from it.
It was as if she held a living, beating heart in her palm—even across the spatial passage, it sent chills down everyone’s spines.He Qingqing declared, "The only seed of the Sky-Supporting Tree is in my hands. Even after the world is destroyed, it can be reborn. Since the great calamity has arrived ahead of time, I will immediately nurture a new world. Those willing to dedicate their cultivation and swear to abide by the rules of the new world may follow me to the new Domain."
Her voice seemed to carry a certain magic, once again quelling the unrest among the heroes of the Immortal Alliance.
The cultivators were too stunned to react promptly.
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