Chapter 235

Chapter 235: When the Whale Falls, All Things Grow (4000 words, two-in-one)

“If you don’t agree, then die here.”

The old man said calmly, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Xu Ming believed this old man could definitely do it.

If he could save both of them, he could just as easily kill them. Killing them would be but a mere thought, leaving no room for resistance.

He had saved them because he saw profit in them, value in a deal, and he had matters to entrust to them.

But if they refused to make the deal, there’d be no reason for him to keep them alive.

Xu Ming stared directly at the old man.

The old man’s gaze didn’t waver; he waited for Xu Ming’s reply.

To the old man, whatever Xu Ming answered didn’t matter, even when it came to life or death.

Xu Ming had once heard Chancellor Xiao of Wu Kingdom say:

“The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the more their perspective broadens. It’s not that they become indifferent to everything, but rather they see things from a higher plane.

And since cultivation means walking down one path without turning back, sticking to one’s Dao heart, fearless individuals grow ever more fearless, while those who fear death grow ever more afraid.”

Xu Ming felt this old man belonged to the former category.

“Senior, you may first explain. Since you’ve said so much, I clearly have no other choice. If I can accept…”

Xu Ming slowly spoke.

Refusal meant death, agreement might mean survival—what else was there to choose?

However, if the old man’s conditions were too extreme, touching upon principles more important than life itself, then even if it meant death, Xu Ming wouldn’t agree.

He wasn’t a saint, not even close to being a good person, but he didn’t want to become the cause of widespread calamity.

“Relax, no need to be so tense. I’m not some great villain. The deal I propose will only put you in mortal danger at most.”

“And you two young ones might not even qualify to deal with me.”

“But if you succeed, I assure you, the opportunities you’ll gain are what most cultivators dream of but never achieve.”

The old man chuckled, though his long beard hid his smile from Xu Ming.

His words were enticing, but the more persuasive they sounded, the more cautious Xu Ming became.

In this world, everything has its price.

“Gambler!” The old man called out. “Get to work!”

“I’m here, Grandpa! Coming right up!” A bald man hurriedly responded.

This man, known as the Gambler, quickly agreed and picked up a stone, cutting his wrist.

Blood dripped continuously from his wrist, flowing along his cage, twisting and turning, staining the rock walls red.

Finally, the Gambler’s blood reached between Xu Ming and the old man.

These drops of blood gathered and separated, eventually forming an intricate magic array.

“Gambler didn’t explain thoroughly earlier,” the old man continued.

“He loves gambling—anything and everything. Money, treasures, even life—he gambles on all of it. Gambling is his Dao.”

“Many people gambled with him and lost, then tried to renege on their debts. They were all killed—not by his hands, but by the oaths they swore during their bets.”

“He killed too many, including disciples from prestigious sects.”

“Being a lone cultivator with no backing, he could only be endlessly pursued.”

“Eventually, he was brought here.”

“The array before you is a bet oath, which carries the power of the Tiandao.”

“Thanks for the personal introduction, Grandpa,” the gambler, still in his cage, bowed respectfully.

“Just as Grandpa said, the witness to this oath isn’t me—it’s the heavens. Though I use blood, which looks scary like a blood curse, using pen and paper works just as well. I actually prefer written agreements.”

“But there’s no paper or pen here.”

“A written agreement can suffice. Blood can replace writing.”

“You can discuss carefully. Once you agree, drop a drop of blood into the array, and the oath becomes effective. Whoever doesn’t fulfill it will suffer the backlash of heaven.”

“Of course, such an oath holds no meaning for Grandpa, whose realm is too high for ordinary oaths to bind him. But for you two youngsters, its constraints are quite strong.”

After the gambler finished speaking, the old man looked at Xu Ming and asked, “What do you think?”

Xu Ming bowed deeply. “Please speak, Senior.”

“Hahaha! Excellent!”

The old man laughed loudly.

“First, let me answer your doubt! Why do these people imprison us here instead of killing us? The reason is simple.”

“There’s an array here, not crafted by ordinary humans, not even the most skilled array master in the world could create such an array.”

“This array is a masterpiece of Tiandao.”

“Every mountain within the territory of Heavenly Profound Gate naturally forms part of this array.”

“To find such a place in the entire world is incredibly difficult.”

“Fortunately, the second Sect Leader of Heavenly Profound Gate was a genius in arrays, so he slightly modified the natural formation into this array.”

“Three Stone Peak is the vital point of the mountains of Heavenly Profound Gate and also the eye of the protective array of the sect.”

“Centered around Three Stone Peak, it can absorb spiritual energy from outside and prevent it from escaping.”

“Thus transforming the entire Heavenly Profound Gate into a massive blessed land.”

“However, the stronger the array, the more it needs to be stabilized.”

“This array requires cultivators of the upper five realms to stabilize the array’s focal point.”

“Imprisoning upper five realm cultivators here acts as a medium, making the array more stable, continuously supplying spiritual energy to Heavenly Profound Gate.”

“Not only that, our spiritual energy is constantly being drained outward, feeding back into the entire Heavenly Profound Gate.”

“Young man, have you heard the phrase ‘When the whale falls, all things grow’?”

“When a giant whale dies, its body becomes nourishment for countless creatures, fostering the growth of myriad beings.”

“In the Demon Realm, there’s a city called Kunpeng City.”

“This Kunpeng City formed after a Kunpeng fell, its skeleton protecting tens of thousands of demons, its flesh allowing them to evolve. This array roughly follows the same principle.”

“And we, we are that whale.”

“When a cultivator dies, their body transforms into nourishment for the world, like fallen flowers enriching the soil, blooming anew year after year.”

“Only part of the spiritual energy dissipates into the nearby land.”

“The carrying capacity of land is extremely limited.”

“When the land around a cultivator’s corpse can’t handle the amount of spiritual energy, the rest disperses throughout the world.”

“So Heavenly Profound Gate lets us die slowly.”

“The slower our spiritual energy leaks out, the more Heavenly Profound Gate gains.”

“Our divine souls and spiritual energy are being dissolved by this array, continuously nurturing Heavenly Profound Gate.”

“In less than a thousand years, I will die here completely.”

“These others, though their realms are lower than mine, entered later, and will also take about a thousand years.”

Xu Ming frowned. “Do other sects have similar arrays? Why don’t the Four Great Sanctuaries do this?”

The elder smiled. “How do you know the Four Great Sanctuaries don’t do this?”

Xu Ming was speechless.

“The Four Great Sanctuaries and Five Great Sects mostly have similar practices, just different methods.”

“For example, every year, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi Sanctuary feeds her essence to the Celestial Pool Tree, stabilizing the surrounding spiritual energy.”

“Another example, in Ten Thousand Sword Sect, there’s a legendary Immortal Sword from the time of Chaos, located at the core of their protective array. Besides stabilizing and transmitting spiritual energy, it enhances sword Qi and intent within the sect and grants blessings from Tiandao.”

“Some sects use similar methods. Hence, sects often cooperate, making various deals.”

“Except for Ten Thousand Sword Sect, which prefers solitude, the remaining four sanctuaries and four sects have stood for tens of thousands of years without changing names for reasons like these.”

“People like us are captured to serve as nutrients for Heavenly Profound Gate.”

“When other sects need help, Heavenly Profound Gate will reciprocate similarly.”

“Recently, I’ve sensed something amiss.”

“The array at Three Stone Peak has changed. This peak is no longer merely the ‘focal point’; it has become a cauldron for refining pills.”

“If my guess is correct…”

“It’s likely that the current Sect Leader of Heavenly Profound Gate has obtained a method to kill us, merging our fortune into the entire Heavenly Profound Gate.”

“Why they’re doing this, I speculate, is because the Sect Leader wants to break through realms.”

“Breakthrough?” Xu Ming asked curiously.

“Yes.” The elder nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, the Purple Mist Grand Ceremony of Heavenly Profound Gate should be approaching, right? You came to congratulate?”

“That’s right.” Xu Ming nodded, not hiding anything.

“My guess is confirmed. We die, our spiritual energy and fortune merge into Heavenly Profound Gate. Then the Sect Leader kills some disciples of Heavenly Profound Gate, who bear the sect’s fortune, merging both.”

“Those who come to congratulate Heavenly Profound Gate must have high status. Many sects send their core disciples to get acquainted and broaden their horizons.”

“These people carry fortune.”

“Finally, guests are killed too.”

“The fusion of these three factors guarantees a breakthrough.”

“Breaking through from Xiānrén Jìng to Ascension Realm.”

“But using this method shows how Heavenly Profound Gate is declining day by day.”

“Previously, the Sect Leaders of Heavenly Profound Gate were always Ascension Realm cultivators.”

“Now, not even reaching Ascension Realm is laughable.”

“Hearing this elder’s words, Xu Ming was shaken.”

“Under normal circumstances, Xu Ming wouldn’t believe any of this.”

“But hearing it from a captured Ascension Realm expert, there was no reason for him to lie.”

“Moreover, this elder’s words corroborated what Mo Zhu’er had told him.”

“Connecting the dots, Xu Ming guessed: Sect Leader Xia He of Heavenly Profound Gate collaborated with the Black Lotus Sect. Perhaps Xia He’s array came from the Black Lotus Sect, meaning they know all of Xia He’s plans and assist him.”

“As for Xia He being hunted?”

“So what?”

“Once Xia He reaches Ascension Realm, who besides fellow Ascension Realm cultivators could kill him? Even battles between Ascension Realm cultivators end in mutual destruction. Would another Ascension Realm cultivator really fight Xia He to the death?”

“Even if there were such a person, so what?”

“Xia He could simply flee. No one could stop him.”

“Xia He could even establish a sect in the Western Regions, near the Black Lotus Sect, combining forces.”

“Xia He truly played a brilliant game.”

“And he’s ruthless.”

“So now you understand,” the elder continued. “We won’t last much longer.”

Xu Ming furrowed his brows. “What does Senior suggest?”

The elder smiled and stared straight at Xu Ming. “Do I need to spell it out? Simply rescue us.”

“…”

Xu Ming wanted to say it wasn’t that simple.

“What’s my cultivation level? What’s yours?”

“The chains and cages holding you are extraordinary. How could I possibly rescue you?”

“Don’t rush. When I say rescue, it doesn’t necessarily mean right now.”

The elder grinned.

“With your current strength, you couldn’t even remove a single nail from my body, let alone rescue us.”

“Next, we’ll teach you a technique based on Heavenly Profound Gate’s protective array.”

“If the current Sect Leader really intends to do this, the sect’s array will enter a relatively unstable state. Using this technique, you might succeed.”

“Another option is to kill the current Sect Leader of Heavenly Profound Gate.”

Xu Ming and Xuenuo were speechless.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m not insane.”

“Right now, you two are indeed too weak, but we have ways to strengthen you.”

“Try it.”

Before Xu Ming and Xuenuo could react, a strand of sword Qi condensed into a small sword, piercing directly into their foreheads.

Their vision went black, and they collapsed onto the ground.