164: Chapter 164 The Southern Heavenly Gate (Part 1)

Dawn broke. Outside the South Heaven Gate, there was no sun, only boundless darkness. There were things within that darkness—the low growls of demon soldiers, the roars of demon generals, and the breathing of the Dark Heavenly Emperor. That breathing was heavy, so heavy it felt as if the entire sky was pressing down.

Lu Mingyuan stood before the South Heaven Gate. He just stood there. The wounds on his body had not yet healed, several bones were still broken, and blood continued to seep out. But he did not feel pain; or rather, pain was no longer important. What mattered was standing. What mattered was guarding. What mattered was not retreating.

Yang Jian stood to his right, his three-pointed double-edged blade having been repaired, though yesterday's cracks still remained on the edge. Nezha stood to his left; his Fire-Tipped Spear was shattered, so he had switched to the universe ring, but the universe ring was too small, making it too slow to kill demon soldiers. Li Jing stood behind them with his pagoda in hand, but the light within the tower was dimmer than it had been yesterday. Taibai Jinxing stood at the very back; his whisk was already worn bare, but his hands did not shake.

"They're here," Yang Jian said.

Outside the South Heaven Gate, the darkness stirred. It was no ordinary movement; it was a surge. It was a tide. Boundless demon soldiers poured out of the darkness like a flood, like a landslide, like the collapsing sky. Those demon soldiers possessed no sapience, only the instinct to slaughter. They charged forward, heedless of life or death, cost or consequence. Those in front fell, and those behind trampled over them. One batch died, and ten more charged. Ten batches died, and a hundred more charged.

"Kill!" Yang Jian charged out, his three-pointed double-edged blade sweeping across, decapitating the first batch of a dozen or so demon soldiers that rushed in. Nezha followed, the universe ring dancing through the air to crush the heads of seven or eight demon soldiers. Li Jing activated his pagoda, its light shining down to suppress a swath of demon soldiers into powder. Taibai Jinxing waved his whisk, its silk strands like swords, piercing through the bodies of over a dozen demon soldiers.

But there were too many demon soldiers. They could not be finished, could not be cut down, and could not be suppressed completely. They surged from all directions—from the sky, from the ground, and from every single crevice. The South Heaven Gate was too large to hold. The gods were too few to block them. Their strength was too weak to endure.

"Retreat! Retreat inside the gate!" Li Jing shouted. The gods began to pull back, retreating inside the South Heaven Gate, behind that very door. That gate was the Heavenly Court's first line of defense, and also its last. Behind the gate lay the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the Heavenly Emperor, and the final order of the Three Realms. If the gate fell, everything would be lost.

Lu Mingyuan did not retreat. He stood before the gate, just standing there. Wanxiang Heaven and Earth expanded within his heart, and the Xuan-shu Path extended beneath his feet. He raised his Green Bamboo Staff, which glowed with a light formed from condensed Wanxiang True Qi, carrying the essence of the four schools—Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Martial Arts—and the weight of the entire path he had traveled from Heyin City to the present.

"Wanxiang Returns to the Pivot."

He spoke softly. As the bamboo staff tapped out, light flew from it and landed within the Demon Tide. The light burst forth—not the burst of an explosion, but the burst of a blooming flower. That light blossomed like a flower before the South Heaven Gate. Its petals were Wanxiang True Qi, its pistil was the Xuan Shu Dao principles, and its fragrance was the will to mend the heavens. The flower bloomed so large that it covered half of the South Heaven Gate. Any demon soldier that touched the flower did not simply die; they dissolved, turning into a wisp of green smoke and dissipating between heaven and earth.

The flower bloomed for only an instant before vanishing. But in that instant, Lu Mingyuan had slain three thousand demon soldiers. He stood there gasping for breath, his face pale. That single move had consumed too much power, so much that he was on the verge of collapse. But he knew he couldn't stop. If he stopped, the gate would fall. If he stopped, the Heavenly Court would be gone. If he stopped, the Three Realms would crumble.

"Again," he said.

The bamboo staff tapped out again, another flower bloomed, and another three thousand demon soldiers vanished. Another flower, another three thousand. Another flower, another three thousand. He tapped seven times, slaying twenty-one thousand demon soldiers. But after the seventh tap, he could no longer stand. His legs shook, his hands shook, his entire body shook. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, his nostrils, and his ears. These were signs of overextended power, the precursors of physical collapse.

"Lu Mingyuan, retreat!" Yang Jian rushed over to support him.

"No retreat." Lu Mingyuan pushed Yang Jian away and stood tall. "The gate is behind me. I cannot retreat."

"But you will die!"

"Then I shall die standing."

Yang Jian looked at him, and something shattered in his eyes. It wasn't tears, but a sense of "I understand." He nodded and stood beside Lu Mingyuan. "Fine. I will stand with you."

Nezha also walked over and stood on the other side. "I will accompany you as well."

Li Jing walked over and stood behind them. "This old man will also accompany you."

Taibai Jinxing walked over and stood at the very back. "This old official will accompany you as well."

One, two, three, four. More and more gods walked over to stand before the South Heaven Gate, before that final door, standing where they were meant to stand. They formed a row, a wall, a line of defense. They stood there, just standing. Not to live, but to protect. Not to win, but to avoid retreating.

---

The Demon Tide came again. This time it wasn't ordinary demon soldiers, but demon generals. Three demon generals, all with cultivation at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level. They stepped out of the darkness, every stride making the ground tremble. Devilish Qi clung to them, thick as ink, black as night, and heavy as a mountain.

"Heavenly Court?" one demon general laughed, his voice sounding like metal scraping against metal. "This is all that's left?"

"It's enough," another demon general said. "Kill them, and the gate will fall."

"Then kill them," the third demon general said.

The three demon generals charged. The first, wielding a giant hammer, smashed it toward Yang Jian. Yang Jian raised his blade to block, but the hammer was so heavy his arms went numb and the web of his hand was torn. The second demon general held a long spear and thrust it at Nezha. Nezha used the universe ring to parry, but the spear was too fast to dodge, piercing through his shoulder. The third demon general held twin blades and slashed at Li Jing. Li Jing activated his pagoda, but the tower's light was corroded by Devilish Qi, becoming dim and lusterless.

Lu Mingyuan rushed forward, his bamboo staff tapping toward the third demon general. The demon general crossed his twin blades, blocking the staff. However, the bamboo staff carried Wanxiang True Qi, which surged through the blades into the demon general's body. The demon general gave a miserable scream and retreated three steps. But it was only three steps. A Taiyi Golden Immortal was not so easily killed.

"Interesting." The demon general looked at Lu Mingyuan with newfound interest. "A Mid-stage Daluo who can make me retreat three steps. Not bad. Unfortunately, that is all."

The twin blades rose again, the blade-light like lightning as it slashed at Lu Mingyuan. Lu Mingyuan raised his staff to block, but the blades were too fast for him to parry. The first blade struck the bamboo staff, causing it to crack. The second blade slashed across his chest, slicing it open. Blood sprayed out, splashing onto the demon general's face. The demon general licked the blood and smiled.

"The blood of a Daluo indeed tastes better than that of a Golden Immortal."

Lu Mingyuan stood there, his chest bleeding, his bamboo staff cracking, and his body shaking. But he did not retreat, not even a single step. He looked at the demon general and smiled. "Tastes good? Then drink some more."

He raised the cracked bamboo staff. It glowed with a light that was very faint, as weak as a candle flame about to go out. Yet the light did not extinguish; it would not go out no matter how hard the wind blew, how heavy the Devilish Qi was, or how deep the wounds became. Within that light were things—the entire path he had traveled from Heyin City to the present, all the Dao he had heard at Zhongnan Mountain, and all the truths he had debated at Zixiao Palace.

"This strike shall send you home."

The bamboo staff tapped out, and light flew from it to land on the demon general. The demon general tried to dodge but couldn't. The light was too fast for him to react, too bright for him to open his eyes, and too heavy for him to remain standing. When the light hit him, he dissolved. Like ice melting, like snow thawing, like mist scattering. He turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated between heaven and earth.

A demon general at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level was killed in a single move.

The other two demon generals were stunned. They looked at the spot where their companion had vanished, then at Lu Mingyuan—the man covered in blood, with a cracked bamboo staff, who could barely even stand. Fear appeared in their eyes.

"Kill him!" the hammer-wielding demon general roared. He raised his giant hammer and smashed it toward Lu Mingyuan. Yang Jian rushed over, his three-pointed double-edged blade blocking the giant hammer. But the hammer was too heavy; it forced Yang Jian to one knee, and his kneecap shattered.

"Nezha!" Yang Jian roared.

Nezha rushed over and smashed the universe ring toward the demon general's head. The demon general caught the universe ring with his other hand and squeezed, shattering it. Nezha was sent flying, crashing into a gate pillar and spitting out fresh blood.

"Lu Mingyuan, go! Quickly!" Yang Jian shouted.

Lu Mingyuan shook his head. He stood there, just standing. His bamboo staff was cracked, his chest was bleeding, his legs were shaking, his hands were shaking—his whole being was shaking. But he did not retreat. He looked at the demon general and smiled. "Go? Go where? The gate is behind me. I cannot leave."

"Then you shall die!"

The demon general raised his giant hammer and brought it down. The hammer was so large it blotted out the sky, so heavy the air trembled, and so fast it could not be dodged. Lu Mingyuan didn't dodge. He raised his cracked bamboo staff. The light on it was even weaker now, like a candle flame on the verge of dying. But he still raised it, and he still tapped it out.

Staff and hammer collided.

Boom!

Lu Mingyuan was sent flying, crashing into a gate pillar with enough force to crack it. He slumped to the ground; his bamboo staff was broken, his chest had collapsed, and he had broken an unknown number of bones. Blood poured from his mouth, his nose, his ears, and every wound on his body. He lay on the ground, unable to move. His eyes were open, but he couldn't see clearly. His ears were ringing, but he couldn't hear. His consciousness was blurring, but he knew he was still alive.

"Lu Mingyuan!" Yang Jian rushed over and pulled him up.

"The gate..." Lu Mingyuan said, his voice as faint as a breeze. "The gate... did it break?"

Yang Jian looked back. The gate was still there. It hadn't broken. The spot where Lu Mingyuan had fallen was still three steps away from the gate. He had guarded those three steps with his very body.

"It didn't break. The gate didn't break," Yang Jian's voice trembled.

Lu Mingyuan smiled. "That's good. That's good."

He closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

---

The demon general stood there, looking at the giant hammer in his hand. There was a hole in the giant hammer, left by Lu Mingyuan's staff. The hole wasn't large, but it was deep—deep enough to pierce through the hammer, through the Devilish Qi, and through everything. Looking at that hole, the demon general suddenly felt afraid. He wasn't afraid of the hole itself, but of the person who had made it. That person clearly only had Mid-stage Daluo cultivation, was clearly unable to stand, and was clearly dying. But why could his power pierce through the weapon of a Taiyi Golden Immortal?

"Withdraw," the demon general said.

"What?" the other demon general was stunned.

"I said withdraw." The demon general put away his giant hammer and turned into the darkness. "We won't be taking it today. That man is too dangerous."

The other demon general looked at Lu Mingyuan, at the man covered in blood and unconscious. He didn't understand. What was dangerous about a dying man? But then he saw the fear in his companion's eyes, the hole in the giant hammer, and the traces left by the dissipation of over twenty thousand demon soldiers before the South Heaven Gate. He understood. It wasn't a matter of power, but a matter of Dao. That man's Dao was not one of confrontation, but of transformation. Not of destruction, but of deliverance. That kind of Dao countered Devilish Qi.

"Withdraw." He also turned and walked into the darkness.

The Demon Tide retreated. The area before the South Heaven Gate was empty once more. All that remained were corpses, blood, shattered weapons, and that unconscious man.

Yang Jian carried Lu Mingyuan through the South Heaven Gate, into the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and before the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor looked at Lu Mingyuan—at the man covered in blood and unconscious—and remained silent for a long time.

"What is his name?"

"Lu Mingyuan," Yang Jian said.

"Lu Mingyuan." The Heavenly Emperor repeated the name once and nodded. "Remember this name. In the Dharma-Ending Kalpa, this name will be very important."

The Heavenly Emperor stood up, stepped down from the Cloud Platform, and walked over to Lu Mingyuan. He reached out and placed his hand on Lu Mingyuan's forehead. His hand glowed with his Origin power, the guardian power bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. That light flowed into Lu Mingyuan's body, repairing broken bones, mending torn wounds, and nourishing depleted Meridians.

"I cannot bring him back to life. His injuries are too severe, so heavy that his Origin has almost scattered. I can only stabilize him so that he does not die. Whether he can wake up depends on himself."

Yang Jian nodded, carried Lu Mingyuan to the side, and laid him on the ground. He sat beside Lu Mingyuan, keeping watch. Nezha came over and sat on the other side. Li Jing came over and sat behind them. Taibai Jinxing came over and sat at the very back. They sat there, guarding the man who had guarded the gate.

Outside the South Heaven Gate, the wind rose again. The wind carried the scent of blood, Devilish Qi, and despair. But there was also something else in the wind—the light emanating from those who stood their ground. That light was very weak, like a firefly. Yet the light did not extinguish; it would not go out no matter how hard the wind blew, how deep the darkness became, or how heavy the despair grew.

That light was called Protection. That light was called No Retreat. That light was called Standing. That light was called Lu Mingyuan.