523: Liu Yan's impotent rage

Ling Qinghan had been trapped in Liu Manor for a hundred years; she had long yearned to return to the outside world. Even if it was fraught with danger, it was better than wasting her life away day after day.

Liu Yan waved his hand. "Su Wan, settle these two newcomers." With that, he turned and walked toward the deepest bamboo pavilion in the residence. A thick barrier of spiritual energy swirled outside the pavilion, which remained closed year-round, and no one dared to approach it casually.

Su Wan complied and stepped forward, gently saying to Hong Xiao and Hong Ling, "Sisters, let me take you to your quarters. You've just arrived, so rest well first and familiarize yourselves with the environment."

Hong Xiao and Hong Ling exchanged a glance, nodded silently, and rose to follow behind Su Wan.

The osmanthus leaves under the corridor fluttered in the wind, casting mottled light and shadow upon the two. Looking at this floating mansion that was a replica of an old residence, they realized more clearly that even a Saintess at the Soul Transformation Stage had to be obedient. They could no longer escape this place and could only take it one step at a time... "Ah—!"

A roar that shook the heavens erupted from the deepest bamboo pavilion of Liu Manor, as violent spiritual energy physically slammed against the pavilion's walls.

Had Liu Yan not already placed layers of Restrictions inside and outside the pavilion, this pressure from the Ascension Realm would have been enough to instantly tear the pavilion apart and crush the entire Cloud-Mist Liu Manor, and even Yan City below, into fly ash.

The bamboo beams and pillars trembled violently, and the calligraphy and paintings under the corridor fluttered down. The hundred or so women in the residence all turned pale and instinctively prostrated themselves on the ground, not even daring to breathe loudly—they had never seen Liu Yan lose his composure like this. The anger and resentment overflowing from the depths of his Soul shrouded the entire Liu Manor in a haze of despair.

Liu Yan stood in the center of the pavilion, his green robes snapping in the wind. Black lotus-shaped spiritual energy surged and roared around him, and his eyes were filled with crimson and brutality.

He was clearly already a peerless powerhouse in this world. Having cultivated against the heavens with a Mortal body, he had forcibly stepped into the legendary True Immortal Realm, which was supposedly only reachable in the Immortal Realm—unprecedented and likely never to be surpassed.

According to the Small World framework Lu Chen designed back then, the Eternal Continent was supposed to be divided into the Three Realms: the Mortal Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the Divine Realm, with clear levels where Cultivators progressed step-by-step. Only by ascending to the Immortal Realm could one break through the shackles of Soul Transformation and reach the True Immortal Realm.

But now, the Immortal Realm had not yet been created, and the laws of heaven and earth were insufficient to sustain the cultivation of the True Immortal Realm. He was like a giant beast trapped in a glass jar; despite possessing world-destroying power, his cultivation was stuck fast, making it impossible to advance even a step.

For the past five thousand years, he had controlled the entire Eternal World, absorbing the negative emotions of billions of Cultivators—jealousy, hatred, despair, and resentment. This sinister energy nourished his Black Lotus World Annihilation Art, yet he could never break through that invisible barrier. Breaking through to become a True Immortal and reaching a higher Realm remained a distant dream.

The Forbidden Land Secret Cave and the god realm shards of Fallen Immortal Valley became his only hope.

He desired to seize the shards more than anyone else, intending to use them as a Foundation to create an independent world of his own.

Since there was no Immortal Realm in heaven and earth, he would personally build an Immortal Realm of his own, breaking these damned shackles of rules to allow his cultivation to progress.

But he couldn't.

Just as this thought surfaced, a cold and majestic voice rang in his mind. It was his master, the only existence he revered—Dawn Moon.

Dawn Moon had already warned him many times that the Forbidden Land Secret Cave and the god realm shards were Opportunities left for the Child of Destiny. He must never lay a finger on them, let alone fight for them.

"Never forget your identity." Dawn Moon's words were like a brand seared into the depths of his Soul. "Your mission is to suppress the Child of Destiny and torment the geniuses of the world. You may humiliate and trample on their pride at will, but you must never take their lives, nor can you snatch their Opportunities and Luck."

"Why?! Why?!" Liu Yan slammed a fist into the Restriction barrier. Where his fist landed, the space rippled in waves.

Five thousand years, a full five thousand years!

From a bullied Mortal scholar in Qinghe Town, he had grown into a Great Devil Head who struck fear into the entire Eternal World. Step by step, he followed Dawn Moon's instructions, deliberately creating tragedies and inciting the hatred of geniuses to force them to grow in desperate situations.

Under his "polishing," the level of cultivation in the Eternal World had increased more than a hundredfold compared to five thousand years ago. Nascent Soul Cultivators were everywhere, and Soul Transformation experts numbered in the tens of thousands, creating this seemingly prosperous age of cultivation.

But what about him? He was merely a precision tool in Dawn Moon's hands, repeating the same tasks day after day, without even the right to pursue his own Opportunities.

He even felt a bit envious of Xiao Jingyan, who was hiding in the Netherworld—that coward didn't dare set foot in the Mortal Realm, yet he could create the Netherworld, rule over a domain, and be the Dominator of his own world, unfettered by anyone.

Xiao Jingyan even secretly gloated, thinking Liu Yan was wary of the Netherworld's power. Only Liu Yan himself knew that it wasn't that he didn't dare go, but that he couldn't.

Dawn Moon had given him countless Restrictions, one of which was a strict prohibition against destroying any independent Small World. As the Foundation of Xiao Jingyan, the Netherworld was naturally within the scope of protection.

"Dawn Moon! Dawn Moon! It's all because of you!" Liu Yan was unwilling; the black lotus spiritual energy became increasingly violent. He hated this feeling of being controlled, hated that he clearly possessed the world's greatest strength yet still had to be subject to another.

Yet amidst this hatred, there was also an unspeakable gratitude—it was Dawn Moon who had bestowed upon him the Black Lotus World Annihilation Art, and it was Dawn Moon who had granted him an Opportunity when his family was destroyed and he was at his wits' end, helping him rise against the heavens and enabling him to stand at the pinnacle of this world.

Love and hate intertwined, tearing his heart to pieces.

Sometimes, a terrifying thought would even surface in his mind: Could all the tragedies he suffered back then have been deliberately arranged by Dawn Moon as well? That wealthy merchant had no grudge against the Liu family, so why would he suddenly come to Qinghe Town from a big city and happen to target his family, insisting on defiling his wife, Zhang Qinghe, and forcing his family into ruin? It was all too coincidental, too deliberate, exactly like the desperate situations he had deliberately arranged for geniuses over the years to stimulate their potential.

Having done such things many times, he understood more and more the terror of a "mastermind" and became increasingly certain that his tragedy might have been part of Dawn Moon's plan from the very beginning.

Only by making him experience ultimate pain could he be made to Cultivate the Black Lotus World Annihilation Art without distraction and become the most qualified "Suppressor." Once this thought took root, it grew wildly, but he didn't even have the courage to confront Dawn Moon.

The higher his cultivation, the more he could feel Dawn Moon's terror.

Dawn Moon's Realm was unfathomably deep, like an endless abyss. Even if he stepped into the True Immortal Realm, he could not glimpse Dawn Moon's true strength.

Before having absolute certainty, he didn't dare to be the slightest bit disobedient. He could only suppress all his resentment and anger in his heart, silently waiting for the right moment.

This time, allowing Ling Qinghan to take people to Fallen Immortal Valley to fight for the god realm shards was his first step in testing the waters.

He would not act personally but merely had his subordinates participate on his behalf. This didn't count as violating Dawn Moon's instructions, and it allowed him to see Dawn Moon's reaction.

If Dawn Moon didn't notice or didn't hold him accountable after noticing, he could further test the limits. If Dawn Moon issued a warning, he would restrain himself in time and make other plans.

Liu Yan slowly withdrew his violent spiritual energy, the crimson in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by deep calculation and resolve.

He rapidly calculated his subsequent plans in his mind.

He would test Dawn Moon's bottom line step by step and accumulate power bit by bit to strive for his own maximum benefit.

"Sooner or later, I will create a world of my own, hide within my own heaven and earth, and completely escape your control," Liu Yan murmured in a low voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable determination.

The clouds outside the pavilion were still swirling, and the Liu Manor, a replica of the old residence in Qinghe Town, was silent. But no one knew that the master of this house, whose heart had been imprisoned for five thousand years, had already ignited the flames of rebellion, which were quietly spreading in an unpredictable direction.