516 The End is Nigh (1/2)
\”The Gate of Heaven is closed, and the path beleaguered. The end is nigh!\”
The first line of characters was written in bloody red ink.
The scroll was made out of a special material that was neither fiber nor metal. It was still in immaculate condition after thousands of years. The calligraphy on the scroll was infused with the vehemence and fervor that possessed the writer. Chen Fan reckoned that these words were written onto the scroll using Blood Qi.
\”The Gate of Heaven is Closed, and the path beleaguered… What does it mean?\”
Chen Fan was also shocked, so he looked further down.
\”Since I was a boy, I have learned the way of Dao. Fate had brought this Sword Art to me during my sojourn in Mount Shu. With great trepidation and horror, I followed the instruction of the Art. A hundred and thirty years later, I became an Earth Level Deity. Nine Flying Swords I have, and one reputation I kept: Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator.\”
The remainder of the scroll was a detailed account of the writer's life.
It included many interesting events: that he traveled to the famous mountains, that he pilgrimed to the nine heavens, that he refined the nine flying swords, that he dominated ancient China, this, and that. In between the lines, Chen Fan noticed that the Exalted Cultivator was a confident cultivator when he was young, thinking he had all the time in the world.
However, the tone of the words changed once the Exalted Cultivator reached three hundred years old. There was a trace of bitterness and resentment as he increasingly saw the world as nothing but a prison. His writings started to fill with accounts of his failed attempt to escape this world.
He was close a few times but was unsuccessful in the end.
\”… now I am four hundred and ninety-two years old with only a few more years to spare. I lived a fool for failing to see my demise earlier, and I will die a fool as well. The Gate of Heaven is Closed, and the path beleaguered. The end is Nigh! The end is Nigh!\”
As the Exalted Cultivator repeated his opening sentences, those words seemed to carry much more weight than it had.
Even Chen Fan was gripped by the sense of helplessness and despair. He put down the scroll and turned his mind inward.
\”Exalted Cultivator must be the last Earth Level Deity. There must be a couple of other Earth Level Deities on earth, but they must have met the same fate as Exalted Cultivator.\”
Chen Fan heaved a sigh.
The earth was deprived of Spirit Qi and was practically a dead planet in the eyes of cultivators. Even with all the arts and techniques at Chen Fan's disposal, he could at the most reach the Golden Core level.
Therefore, he had been thinking ways of leaving the planet ever since he reached the Divine Sea level.
\”There are three methods I can choose.\”
\”The first method is to find an Immortal Portal. I think it is what the Exalted Cultivator meant by the Gate of Heaven and the Path of Heaven. These must be portals left by ancient cultivators when they left earth. If I can find one, I should be able to reactivate it.\”
\”The second method is to reach Golden Core Level and physically fly away from Earth. However, this method was not without difficulties and perils. Not only was it nearly impossible to reach Golden Core, but Space was also an extremely dangerous place for Golden Core level cultivators. \”
\”The last method is to simply wait for ten years when my teacher came to visit earth. Then I can leave with him.\”
Chen Fan thought to himself.
Of the three methods, the first one was the most plausible, although it might take him some time to search for the Immortal Portals.
Chen Fan was not entirely confident about the second option, but he decided to do it alongside the first option nonetheless.
As for the third option, it was Chen Fan's last resort. He would not even consider it unless absolutely necessary.
\”I am getting ahead of myself now. I don't have to deal with it until I reached Connate Spirit Level. I am only at the early-stage of the Divine Sea, and it will take me at least a couple of years to reach Connate Spirit.\” Chen Fan cracked a smile and shook his head.
As he continued reading the scroll, he realized that the scroll was the same one discovered by Exalted Cultivator at Mount Shu.
The name of the scroll was called the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments
It was an ancient art of Sword Immortals.
Lin Shuming and other Immortal State Warriors would put the scroll on a pedestal, treating it like the apple of their eyes. It was an authentic Immortal Cultivation Art and could elevate any Immortal State Warrior to a higher state.
However, for Chen Fan, it was just a small trick.
He had tens of thousands of such arts at his disposal.
\”But the existence of the Sword Art meant that the Immortal Cultivators that used to occupy Earth was far from competent. If they were really powerful like those of void returning and Dao Reunion level, they could easily change the landscape of this planet.\”
With that thought in mind, Chen Fan put the scroll back into the gourd.
All the while, Dragon Lord had glued his eyes on the scroll. He guessed what it was but was deterred to claim it for himself because of Chen Fan.
It had only been fifteen minutes since the battle, and the wound on Chen Fan's shoulder was already healed. The Dragon Lord knew he had no chance winning a fight against such a formidable opponent.
\”It is your time to make a decision now. Do you choose life or death?\”
Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and asked the Dragon Lord.
The Dragon Lord's face changed colors as his mind raced. In the end, he cupped his fist and bowed deeply. \”My servitude is yours. I would use my soul and spirit as the pledge for my loyalty.\”
\”Very well.\”