In Search of a Saint

At the very bottom of the myriad realms in existence.

The Great Death Realm lay in the extreme depths, already broken and ruined, with half of it torn open and connected to the void beyond the realms, becoming an abandoned place uncared for by the Way of Heaven and untrodden by cultivators.

Yet within this abandoned place, there remained a human trace.

A solitary figure lay slumbering on the ground.

Beside them hovered a sword, though it could not truly be called a sword; "sword spirit" would be more apt, for it was merely an embodiment of the Dao of the Sword.

Only due to its carrying on the divine soul of a cultivator did it take this form.

So this sword spirit could also be said to be Ma Xiaohong.

She had always remained by Chen Xia's side.

There was no sunlight here, only perpetual darkness, faint scattered stars falling like drops of ink, and dense deathly energy permeated.

The dying Great Death Realm still retained some residual consciousness, struggling in its final throes, lingering within the realm to cling to "life" by any means.

The arrival of the Dao Ancestor quickened the demise of the Great Death Realm, inciting the last shred of its will to survive.

Even abandoned by the Way of Heaven, it wished to endure.

And in this place, more than just the Great Death Realm existed as a realm.

A light shone from Chen Xia's chest, within him also resided a minor realm, coincidentally connected to the mad, survival-seeking residue of the Great Death Realm's consciousness.

The current remaining will of the Great Death Realm thought only of staying alive, disregarding all else; seeing that there was another realm it could inhabit, it wasted no further thought and surged straight into Chen Xia's chest.

In the myriad realms, most realms submit to and are controlled by the Way of Heaven.

But Chen Xia's minor realm was different, inextricably tied to Chen Xia himself, controlled only by Chen Xia and unconcerned with the Way of Heaven.

Now that minor realm had accepted the will of the Great Death Realm, able to coalesce into a realm, but still ungoverned by the Way of Heaven, controlled solely by Chen Xia.

Perhaps this was the origin of the fifth Dao he had comprehended, the False Way of Heaven.

The river of stars grew dim, all was deathly stillness.

Chen Xia's lone body lay sprawled atop a small star, his chest connected to the whole mass of the Great Death Realm's will, his divine consciousness still slumbering.

His left eye, originally dull, now held a tiny crimson glow flickering on and off, stubbornly alive.

In the lightless darkness of the Great Death Realm.

This became the sole light.

"After living for tens of millions of years, you still don't cherish your own feathers, insisting on using previous merits to barter for a slim chance - I didn't want to manage you at first, but never thought you'd be so foolish."

The Martial Emperor stood in the void, disdainfully speaking.

Before him, the Dao Ancestor's mutilated star was pinned to a vast star, gasping his last, his pale eyes glaring at the Martial Emperor as he croaked out.

"How could you do this? I was clearly able to achieve the highest, don't you need the highest? Why won't you let me achieve the highest?!"

The Martial Emperor crossed his arms, eyes narrowed curiously.

"Are you truly stupid or just pretending? How dare you ask such a thing - use your brain and think if I would ever allow you to become the highest by these means?"

"To become the highest by making your divine soul the soul of the Great Death Realm, to completely become a lapdog of the Way of Heaven - I have no need whatsoever for such 'highest'."

The Dao Ancestor grit his teeth, hurriedly responding: "I swear, I can give you control over half my divine soul, after I become the highest I will definitely follow your words, I will definitely submit to your control."

The Martial Emperor smiled and shook his head indifferently.

"No need. With your temperament, you're unsuited to sit at the highest position. I didn't want to manage you in the first place, it's just that your final method to become the highest truly vexed me, so I casually disrupted it."

Knowing salvation was impossible, the Dao Ancestor began cursing.

"Damned Chen Jiu, fifty million years ago without my help with spell formations to obscure the Way of Heaven, could you have obtained your current success? You ungrateful wretch!"

The Martial Emperor's expression remained even as he replied:

"What gratitude? Didn't you also benefit from following me, gaining renown as a Dao Ancestor? Only blame yourself for being unrestrained."

"And out of old friendship, I won't personally kill you - be pinned here and fade away yourself. Oh, and this vast star also pinned down a cultivator you know twenty million years ago, called Mo Tian."

Upon hearing that name Mo Tian, the Dao Ancestor's face drastically changed, eyes bulging in apparent terror, as he finally understood what the Martial Emperor meant by "fade away."

To be forcibly devoured by the remnant soul of Mo Tian the Great Emperor!

And Mo Tian the Great Emperor's origin was all the more astonishing, the final Supreme Demon of the myriad realms!

A chill crept up the Dao Ancestor's back, his flesh and blood seeming to be gradually drained away.

The Martial Emperor lingered no more, turning to leave without listening to the Dao Ancestor's howls.

He intended to rear this Supreme Demon, so used the Dao Ancestor to feed it.

For the next highest position, he already had an excellent candidate picked - a mere seedling now, but surely would grow quickly enough; he had already waited tens of millions of years, a little more hardly mattered.

With this, there would soon be four highest existences.

Just one more needed.

"Soon, so soon."

The Martial Emperor murmured softly.

On the mountaintop of the Fuyao Immortal Sect.

Seven hundred years had passed since the battle of the Great Death Realm. Although those in the know still felt dread in recollection, with time it had somewhat dulled.

The various celestial talents all returned to proper cultivation.

Save for Xu Zhen.

These seven hundred years, she had not cultivated a single bit, only sitting atop the mountain day after day, gazing blankly into the distance as if wishing to see something.

Some disciples said Grand Master Xu had fallen into derangement, wholly changed after returning from the Great Death Realm, perhaps afflicted by some spell, utterly inscrutable.

Xu Zhen was no longer the leading talent of the current Fuyao Immortal Sect, replaced by another genuine inheritor of an Emperor's teachings.

The Great Sage Chen Xi felt anxious, but could do naught - this was a knot of the heart she could not untie, so could only watch as Xu Zhen slowly wasted away.

Seven hundred years of lifespan simply squandered, somewhat regrettable, but still fine if Xu Zhen could break through her inner knot.

Yet it seemed not meant to be.

Xu Zhen still gazed at mountains and seas, sometimes propping her chin to look at the horizon - none knew what she pondered.

Until one day, Xu Zhen suddenly approached Chen Xi and spoke but a single sentence.

"I'm going to the realms."

Chen Xi paused, then frowned. "Direct travel between realms requires Saint-realm at minimum to safely pass the realm restrictions; with your current realm, even if I brought you, you couldn't pass - still rejected, for complete realms differ greatly from the Great Death Realm."

From then on.

Xu Zhen's figure vanished from the Fuyao Immortal Sect's sight.

She only closed off to train in seclusion.

Seeking Sainthood.