Yu Xuzǐ's face was etched with grief as he gazed up at the sky. Outside the mountain-protecting formation, more and more demonic beasts were gathering.
Time was running out for them.
Yu Xuzǐ forced himself to hold back his emotions and continued to finish what he had to say.
"After we returned to the Five - Element Dao Sect, we learned the news that the Qingyun Sword Sect was no more. At the same time, all the major sects were under attack from the demonic beasts, and the Five - Element Dao Sect was no exception..."
The demonic beasts were purposefully attacking the sects. First the Qingyun Sword Sect, then the Beast - Taming Sect, and then the Green Wood Sect... One by one, the sects fell, and finally, it was the turn of the Five - Element Dao Sect.
Yu Xuzǐ used his own lifespan to activate the Kunlun Disk, all in order to hold on until Shen Qing and Li Xian returned to the Five - Element Dao Sect.
Now, he was finally about to fulfill his mission.
"Xue Ling, Hong Chaoyang, there are still some survivors from your sects down there. Go and find them... Shen Qing, you stay."
Hong Chaoyang and Xue Ling knew that Yu Xuzǐ probably had something else to say to Shen Qing, so they obediently left.
Shen Qing got off the bowl and stepped onto Yu Xuzǐ's formation. "Master, does this great calamity have to be repaid with my life?"
There was a tinge of sorrow in Yu Xuzǐ's eyes. His face was deathly pale, with dark circles under his eyes and chapped lips. He looked like a once - vibrant ancient tree that had suddenly been drained of all its vitality.
Others might not have noticed, but the moment Shen Qing saw Yu Xuzǐ, she sensed that the mountain - protecting formation of the Five - Element Dao Sect should have been broken long ago.
If it weren't for Yu Xuzǐ and the Kunlun Disk, the Five - Element Dao Sect wouldn't have been able to hold on until they arrived.
Yu Xuzǐ had sacrificed a great deal, and the purpose of waiting for her was self - evident.
Yu Xuzǐ smiled, but as he did, he covered his chest and coughed twice. He supported himself on Shen Qing's hand and tried to stand up, but his body finally gave way, and he hunched over.
"Shen Qing... During this seclusion, I glimpsed the secrets of heaven..."
Yu Xuzǐ's voice was hoarse, but his eyes seemed to see through Shen Qing in front of him and into the future.
Shen Qing carefully supported Yu Xuzǐ. She felt that if she let go even for a moment, Yu Xuzǐ would fall weakly from the sky. "Master, what secrets of heaven did you see?"
Just as Yu Xuzǐ opened his mouth to say something, a thunderclap suddenly roared across the sky.
It was a warning from the Heavenly Dao...
The secrets of heaven must not be revealed.
But Yu Xuzǐ only curled his lips into a wanton smile.
Why should he fear a mere heavenly punishment?
So, amidst the deafening thunder, Yu Xuzǐ slowly said, "The Dragon Clan was born in response to the heavens and earth and died in response to the calamity. But their residual souls remained in the world, causing this disaster. But I couldn't calculate the whereabouts of the Dragon Clan's residual souls... But Shen Qing, you can find them..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Xuzǐ's pupils became unfocused.
The image of Shen Qing in front of him blurred, the world began to darken, and finally, in Yu Xuzǐ's eyes, there was no more light in the mortal world, the mountains, and the rivers.
His vision disappeared.
But Yu Xuzǐ didn't reveal any hesitation. He just said what he needed to say.
"The Nine Wastelands Continent exists at the junction of the mortal world and the celestial realm. To repel these demonic creatures and the Dragon Clan's residual souls, you need to awaken the four heavenly pillars. The first one is at the peak of Kunlun..."
As he spoke, Yu Xuzǐ felt a sharp pain on his tongue. From then on, all delicious food would taste like wax in his mouth, leaving only bitterness spreading, and he could no longer taste the slightest sweetness.
His sense of taste disappeared.
"The second one is in the Palace of the South Sea Mermaids, the third one is in the River of Forgetfulness in the North Sea, and the fourth one is in the extremely cold glacier in the Eastern Region..."
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
The smell of blood in Yu Xuzǐ's nose gradually faded, and his nose just mechanically breathed.
His sense of smell disappeared.
Time was really running out...
Yu Xuzǐ showed a bitter smile. He wanted to give more instructions and say more.
But now, it seemed that he wasn't allowed to.
Shen Qing gradually noticed that Yu Xuzǐ's eyes seemed to be fixed on the void, empty and expressionless. Her heart tightened, and she quickly waved her hand in front of Yu Xuzǐ's eyes twice.
Yu Xuzǐ was completely unaware. Those once kind and gentle eyes could no longer convey any emotions or thoughts.
Shen Qing's nose turned sour, and she blinked rapidly, but she couldn't stop the mist from filling her eyes.
Shen Qing's lips trembled slightly. She tried to speak in a normal tone, but her throat tightened, and a slight tremor still came out in her voice. "Master, stop talking. Disciple has remembered everything."
Yu Xuzǐ tried his best to listen to what Shen Qing said. Although he was holding onto Shen Qing, his sense of touch was also slowly disappearing. He could only grip Shen Qing's hand tighter and tighter, feeling the last bit of warmth.
"Shen Qing, take Li Xian and leave!"
"It doesn't matter if we old fellows die. We can't let the Dragon Clan's residual souls succeed in their plan. You are our last hope. Save the Nine Wastelands Continent and the future of the cultivation world!"
Yu Xuzǐ tilted his head slightly. Wrinkles like earthworms quickly climbed onto his face. He hunched over, and a hint of helplessness showed on his face. He was a far cry from the Yu Xuzǐ who used to seem to have everything in the world under his control.
Seeing Yu Xuzǐ like this, Shen Qing felt heart - broken. "Master, you should rest. Leave the rest to us. Please stop talking. I beg you, stop talking..."
Yu Xuzǐ shook his head. As if recalling something, he slowly said, "Li Xian is my most beloved disciple. He lost his parents when he was young and was a closed - off and lonely child. I watched him grow up bit by bit and become a capable cultivator. And he even formed a good relationship with you. As his master... I'm truly happy for him."
"Oh, right... Li Xian is a merman... Mermen are also very important. Shen Qing, you must take Li Xian with you. At a critical moment, he will be very useful, very useful..."
As Yu Xuzǐ rambled on, his thoughts became confused.
His vision, sense of smell, sense of touch, and sense of taste had all disappeared. The whole world seemed to have fallen into a dark hell.
If it weren't for the trembling voice of Shen Qing still ringing in his ears, Yu Xuzǐ would have thought that he was already dead.
But finally, even this last bit of his sense of hearing seemed to be disappearing...
Yu Xuzǐ slowly closed his eyes. The five senses were connected to the internal organs. When the five senses disappeared, the organs in Yu Xuzǐ's body also slowly stopped functioning, and his spiritual power was gradually drained from his body.
At the same time, the formation that had been keeping Shen Qing and Yu Xuzǐ floating in mid - air also disappeared. A feeling of weightlessness came over them, and the two quickly fell from the sky.
Shen Qing tightly held onto Yu Xuzǐ and frantically summoned Wu Wang, but no matter how she summoned, Wu Wang didn't appear.
Without Yu Xuzǐ's activation, the mountain - protecting formation began to dissipate. The demonic beasts roared excitedly, and their scarlet eyes greedily stared at the cultivators in front of them who were holding swords. Although they were afraid, they didn't take a single step back.
The last bit of the barrier protecting everyone disappeared...
The demonic beasts leaped up and rushed into the mountain gate of the Five - Element Dao Sect. The disciples of the Five - Element Dao Sect, along with the surviving disciples from other sects, fought back bravely and tangled with the demonic beasts.
The howls of the demonic beasts and the shrill screams of the cultivators intertwined, mixed with the sounds of magic tools and talismans being activated, which made people shudder.
Sensing that Yu Xuzǐ's life was coming to an end, the Kunlun Disk let out a final wail and disappeared on the spot.