Another Cliché Cultivation Story

An old husband and wife stood in front of their mud house on a small island in the Arcane Region. Many other mortals like them were evacuated long ago, but they have chosen to stay. At their age, how much time could they possibly have left? They were already in their eighties and even though this number was considered nothing to cultivators, they had lived long enough and had seen enough— especially for one lifetime. They’d rather the resources be spent elsewhere to save others and let their fate be given to the hands of Heaven.

Not everyone has the aspiration to go against the natural order, sometimes, the choice to remain ordinary is the most discerning one.

They held each other tightly as they watched what was seemingly the end of the world.

The sky had fractured. A chaotic storm brewed with lightning tearing through the domain, followed by the deafening roars of thunder. Tempestuous winds howled as dense tornadoes twisted violently across the horizon. Multicolored rays rippled through the clouds, colliding in booming explosions.

The husband and wife shivered at this apocalyptic scene, leaning toward each other hard for an ounce more of comfort.

“Honey… I’m afraid,” the wife whispered, crying.

The husband pursed his lips, being the man, he didn’t want to show any fear, but as he moved his gaze away from above to what was in front of them, he stammered, “It’s—it’ll be ok, my dear wife. Our time has merely co—come, what is there to be afraid of?”

He softly soothed the woman in his arms, all the while, nervously gaping at the towering blue wall that was about to crash into them.

The tsunami was enormous, consuming and obliterating everything in its path. One by one, islands disappeared beneath its waves, and it seemed to grow larger with every passing moment.

“I have no regrets,” The husband said with a wrinkly smile.

The wife nodded. “I too, none. Although… I wish to have seen Zhu-er one last time.”

“Our son is currently at the Arcane Mountain, fighting for the fate of our world. We cannot be so selfish.”

The wife had more to say, but she was interrupted by a wide shadow that cast over them.

Knowing it was time, the two looked into each other’s eyes before lovingly giving their final embrace.

They waited for the inevitable impact that would slam into them.

A second passed, then another second, and then another.

Nothing happened.

Feeling that something was wrong, the husband and wife hurriedly looked up, and what they saw made their jaws drop.

The colossal wave hung in the air, frozen mid-crash. Every water droplet that formed to create the tsunami was held in place and completely unmoving. Even the beasts and land submerged within were stagnant.

The old couple were in awe. While they were unaffected, time appeared to have completely stopped around them.

BOOM

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The tsunami suddenly exploded, delivering rain down through the surrounding area.

Surprisingly, the husband and wife didn’t get drenched as a silver glow enveloped their bodies, pushing the rain away from them when it came close. After a dozen minutes, the torrent shower stopped and a strange silence spread, leaving only the heavy sounds of their breathing audible.

“Cul—cultivators!” The wife shouted in delight.

She turned to her husband and exclaimed, “We’re alive! Cultivators saved us! Husband, do you think it was Zhu-er?”

“Uh, perhaps…?” The husband replied hesitantly. He was only a mortal, he didn’t know anything about cultivation. In the end, he gave the answer he thought his wife wanted to hear. Yet inwardly, he didn’t think it was likely. Their son wasn’t that capable.

“It’s Zhu-er! It has to be! He protected us!”

The old wife cheered, unaware that several thousand kilometers away, her son lay buried in the mud, his body pinned beneath several others, all wearing the uniform of the Arcane Mountain. His vacant eyes were open, his arm outstretched in the direction of where his parents were, but no breath escaped his lips.

His soul was destroyed long ago, leaving behind nothing but a cold husk. Soon, another lifeless body fell and he was quickly shrouded, becoming another forgotten casualty of war.

In the background, the battle between the Arcane Mountain and the Graha raged on, with the former slowly being overwhelmed. Their resistance thus far was a commendable feat considering who their opponent was. However, if it weren’t for the soul artifact provided by the Great Ancestor and Dong Zongying’s Ethereal Blight, the so-called Guardian of the Mortal Desolate World would’ve been defeated long ago.

These Graha didn’t have the same restrictions as those from above. They were from the Lower World and had merely crossed over to this realm using the Chaos Tunnels. Whether it was pills, formations, talismans, weapons, or Divine Arts, they were free to use them all.

The strategy initially employed by the Arcane Mountain to fight in groups was proving ineffective. After all, if they could do it, why can’t the Graha?

Body after body, death after death, the Heaven was happily reclaiming what had been stolen from it.

Amidst the destructive mayhem, a few sorrowful shouts pierced through the battlefield.

“Alchemy Hall Master!”

“Fu Gui!”

The cries left many from the Arcane Mountain speechless as they watched a middle-aged man get struck continuously by beams of fog. Not a single word escaped his lips before the vitality faded from his eyes.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Dong Zongying, locked in battle with a group of Grahas at the Late and Peak stages of the Holy Realm, was startled by the commotion and instinctively turned her gaze toward the source. There, she saw the middle-aged man fall into the ocean and it was as if her heart had just been impaled.

A Hall Master had perished!

Before Dong Zongying could even process this event, an attack flew her way. If this was just any ordinary soul attack, she wouldn’t have cared as her Ethereal Blight would easily disperse it, but it was different this time. This soul attack was crimson red and was infused with a weird energy that was thinning the True Essence of Heaven and Earth.

What is this!? It’s… corrosive?

Dong Zongying didn’t know what she was seeing, however, upon sensing the power behind this beam of fog, the oscillation of her Ethereal Blight became even faster. Even so, it didn’t fully manage to scatter the beam of fog as it kept pushing through and slowing down her vibration.

Dong Zongying’s face paled, pushing her True Essence to its greatest extent, her body hummed before sending one huge pulse outwards like the beat of a drum. The momentum of the red beam of fog dropped and she quickly used this opportunity to retreat.

“What was that?” She murmured in alarm.

Once she was safe, she gave the fallen Fu Gui a glance, whose body had sunk deep into the ocean. A grieving sadness coursed through her but unfortunately, this was not the time for mourning so she could only push those feelings aside.

Dong Zongying turned her attention to the source of that unusual attack earlier and her eyes widened at what she saw. Of the group of Grahas she was fighting, there was one that had undergone a startling transformation. His body, which was once translucent, had now been permeated red. The spiraling fog within his stomach churned at a ferocious speed while smoky crimson rings encircled his neck, wrists, and ankles, exuding an oppressive aura.

She wasn’t alone in her surprise as it seems even his comrades were as well.

“You… you’re using that forbidden art?” One of them asked gravely.

Bohai, the right-hand man of Yatong was also part of the group and he too, was solemn, “You should already know that doing this will damage your foundation.”

The color-filled Graha nodded, “I’m obviously aware. However, the more we fight this Sect Master of the Arcane Mountain, the more I see a second coming of Empress Han Lan. We absolutely cannot allow her to live or else she will become a scourge of our race.”

Bohai instantly scoffed, “She must definitely die, but for you to equate her to the Empress is utterly ridiculous. She pales infinitely in comparison to her. Even her usage of Ethereal Blight is unsteady and elementary.”

“If that is what you think, why have we yet been unable to kill her?”

“…”

This one question put the group in a silence and even Bohai could only narrow his eyes, unable to retort. They have been attacking with the intent to eliminate, yet so far, they have been unsuccessful.

“Her utilization of Ethereal Blight is steadily improving. Have none of you noticed?”

“…”

“With the addition of this question, many of them no longer hesitated. Their Soul Essence Vessel churned, spinning rapidly. The sparkling lights in the swirling cloud burst apart and their translucent form quickly turned red. When they exhaled, crimson vaper rings formed and wrapped around their neck, wrists, and ankles.

In the group of six, five had used the forbidden art, leaving only Bohai who was still hesitant.

The True Essence at the Arcane Mountain was becoming sparse, being corroded away by their strange energy.

“What is going on? Where has all the True Essence gone?”

“I… can’t feel anything.”

“At this rate, we’ll run out of True Essence! We won’t last much longer!”

Those from the Arcane Mountain were swiftly alarmed, including the Great Ancestor, who was fiercely battling Yatong.

His brows furrowed, wanting nothing more than to assist Dong Zongying, but Yatong refused to allow him to do so. As he fought, two streams of blood leaked from his eyes after he hurriedly performed a divination. While he wasn’t able to see through Yatong due to him having a strand of Heavenly Merit, the same cannot be said for Dong Zongying.

A vision emerged, and after the Great Ancestor saw it, his expression darkened.

“HAHA, did you see it, old man!?” Yatong cackled. “Did you see the ways that she will die? We will not only destroy her soul but her body as well! By the time we’re done with her, there shall be no traces of the Ethereal Blight left!”

The Great Ancestor was silent, trying hard to break free of Yatong. It was unknown when it happened, but underneath the sleeve that hid his arm, there was a spider-like crack that was slowly spreading like a disease.

This body won’t last much longer… he inwardly thought.

But no matter what, I can’t let Zongying die! She’s an inheritor of Han Lan, there is potential in her. She has to live, she must!

The Great Ancestor knew what he must do, unfortunately, there was no way for him to do it. Splitting his attention, he partially focused on Dong Zongying and saw she was thoroughly suppressed. If it weren’t for Ethereal Blight, she would’ve already died a long time ago.

It was also then that he began to see a series of scenes that were playing out exactly as it did in his vision and he trembled.

“No! Zongying!” He roared.

“HAHAHA, this is the end for her!” Yatong excitedly exclaimed.

“Sect Master! Look out!” Zeng Shihao and the other Hall Masters noticed something as well and cried out, rushing to Dong Zongying’s aid. Their desperate charge was quickly halted as a group of Graha stood in their way, blocking their path.

“Get out of the way!” They shouted, their voices filled with urgency as they recklessly clashed with the enemies standing in their way.

Dong Zongying stood alone, heavily breathing with beads of sweat rolling down her face. Her body shook with exhaustion as she was unable to sustain Ethereal Blight any longer. Against six Grahas— two in the Late stage of the Holy realm and four at the Peak— five of whom using the forbidden art, the odds were insurmountable.

Before her, six powerful beams of fog were rapidly approaching.

She could no longer move, her strength wholly drained. Incapable of doing anything, she seemed to see death smiling upon her. The finality of her life felt like a lifetime in and of itself. Her gaze caught the Hall Masters fighting desperately to reach her, the Great Ancestor’s worried expression, and the anxious faces of the Elders and disciples of the sect. It was strange, although it was the end of her path, her mind was clear of thoughts, and only a tired sigh was released from her lips. Finally, she closed her eyes and resigned her fate.

Yet, her fate was unclaimed.

Seconds passed but she remained.

Confused, she slowly opened her eyes, only to see a tall man in black, standing in front of her like a shield. His back was straight as a spear while his shoulders were imposingly broad.

“Who…?” she muttered.

Dong Zongying was taken aback. She didn’t recognize this man and as she looked around, she noticed an oddity— everyone had unexpectedly stopped fighting. The battle at the Arcane Mountain was so fierce just a minute ago but now, it was pervaded with silence as all eyes were solely on this one person.

“What’s going on?” Dong Zongying was baffled.

She couldn’t understand what had everyone so entranced, but the answer became clear the moment he turned around. Upon seeing his appearance, Dong Zongying sucked in a breath before forgetting to exhale.

Immortal…?

Ji Xian gently smiled, unbothered by the public’s extreme reaction. He settled his gaze on Dong Zongying and his eyes shined with a clear light that was full of fascination. He had arrived a while ago, before even the death of Fu Gui, the Alchemy Hall Master. Naturally, if he wanted to, Ji Xian could’ve saved him. But he wasn’t Xia Lihua, who was delayed due to wanting to protect the lives of two mortals. He didn’t even know Fu Gui, to Ji Xian, he was just another unfamiliar face, why should he save him? Instead, he was interested in Dong Zongying and her Ethereal Blight. It was because of his curiosity in her, that he chose to stand back and do nothing until he had to step in.

Of course, if Xia Lihua had been by his side, this entire event would’ve turned out differently, but because she prioritized the lives of the old couple, leaving him to his own device, Ji Xian acted as he normally would. In exchange for two mortals, dozens more cultivators ended up losing their lives.

Ji Xian happily observed Dong Zongying, meanwhile, Yazhu and Yahui, the two Graha brothers, who had awakened after being knocked out by Yatong, instinctively shivered at the sight of Ji Xian’s figure, and the sudden urge to flee became more prominent.