The Will of the God

The people inside the tower broke out in cold sweat, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on the world beyond its walls. Yet, the sound of footsteps continued to draw nearer.

The oppressive weight pressing down on them intensified, as if an entire mountain had settled upon each person’s shoulders.

Thud!

Someone inside the tower could no longer withstand the pressure and collapsed to their knees. Those still standing struggled desperately, barely holding on.

Another step.

More people buckled under the force, their knees slamming against the ground.

Tap… tap… tap…

The footsteps persisted.

With each step, more fell to their knees.

At the head of the hall, Xu Zhu’s eyes were bloodshot. As the strongest expert on Wind and Moon Island, he had yet to kneel, but his legs trembled uncontrollably. The floor beneath him had already cracked into a spiderweb of fissures, spreading in all directions.

The doors swung open on their own.

Several robed figures, their faces obscured, appeared at the entrance.

By the time they reached the doorway, everyone in the hall had been forced to their knees—some even prostrated completely, unable to rise.

Only Xu Zhu remained, stubbornly resisting.

The lead figure took another step, crossing the threshold.

That single step marked a turning point.

Boom!

Xu Zhu felt as though his very soul had been struck. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed like a crumbling mountain, his kneecaps shattering into dust.

Gritting his teeth, he lifted his head to face the intruders, his entire body trembling.

No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t fathom why his insignificant Wind and Moon Island had provoked such terrifyingly powerful foes.

But he wasn’t completely without a trump card.

His decision to risk offending Yi Feng, to install Bai Ji as the next island master and purge the island’s ranks—such a reckless gamble—hadn’t been made without a backup plan.

He still had one final ace up his sleeve.

A trump card at the peak of the Path Ascension realm.

Lifting his chin slightly, he cast his gaze toward the top of the tower and sent a mental message:

"Senior Wen, Wind and Moon Island faces a dire enemy. I implore you to intervene and drive them back."

At the same moment, atop the Moonlit Tower…

In a shadowed corner, a white-robed young man huddled in terror, his hands clamped tightly over his mouth. He suppressed his aura to the absolute limit, not daring to make the slightest sound.

"Damn, these people are terrifying! How the hell did Xu Zhu provoke such monsters?"

"This… this pressure is hundreds—no, thousands—of times stronger than I was at my peak in my past life!"

"Please, don’t notice me… don’t notice me… this has nothing to do with me!"

"And that idiot Xu Zhu—don’t you dare expose me!"

He prayed frantically in his heart.

But the next moment…

Xu Zhu’s voice echoed in his mind again.

Gah!

He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"You damn fool! I told you not to contact me! What if that monster detects your message?!"

"No… I can’t be exposed. I finally got a second chance at life—I can’t die here!"

"I didn’t hear anything. I’m not here. If I don’t respond, it’s like I don’t exist!"

"Hmm?"

Xu Zhu frowned when no reply came. Desperate, he sent another message:

"Senior Wen, we made an oath to the Heavenly Dao! I poured all my resources into helping you awaken at the critical moment, and in return, you swore to aid Wind and Moon Tower’s rise. Now we face annihilation—honor your promise!"

"Aaaah!"

"You bastard! I’ll curse your ancestors for eighteen generations! I told you not to message me! What if that monster traces it back?!"

The white-robed man in the corner wanted nothing more than to tear Xu Zhu limb from limb.

But he remained silent.

His continued silence finally broke Xu Zhu’s patience.

If this "senior" didn’t act now, Wind and Moon Island would be wiped out. Abandoning secrecy, Xu Zhu shouted aloud:

"Senior Wen! You swore an oath to the Heavenly Dao to aid Wind and Moon Sect! Fulfill your promise now!"

The moment those words rang out, the white-robed man on the rooftop nearly lost his mind.

He wanted to cry.

"Wen Chengyu… what sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this?!"

"All I wanted was to awaken and reclaim my former strength—was that so wrong?!"

"Back in the Nine Realms, I struck a deal with that worthless Three Lives Sect, swore an oath to the Heavenly Dao… and then those bastards disbanded without a word, leaving me to rot!"

"Now, after exploiting a loophole in the Heavenly Dao’s rules to partner with a stronger sect like Wind and Moon Tower… these idiots go and provoke monsters like this?!"

"I’m doomed!"

Knowing he couldn’t hide any longer, Wen Chengyu clenched his teeth and forced himself to descend—slowly, reluctantly, dragging his feet as much as possible.

When Xu Zhu saw his trump card finally appear, hope flickered in his eyes despite his shattered knees.

"The peak of the Path Ascension realm… a reincarnated expert… Senior Wen’s demeanor is truly that of an immortal descended to the mortal world!"

"With him here… Wind and Moon Island is saved!"

Filled with confidence, Xu Zhu decided to bolster Wen Chengyu’s imposing presence. He raised his head and barked at the robed figures:

"No matter who you are, Senior Wen is here now! You will not act with impunity!"

Then, he turned his reverent gaze back to Wen Chengyu—just as the man touched down.

"Such composure… this is the bearing of a true transcendent expert!" Xu Zhu marveled.

But the next moment…

Thud!

Wen Chengyu dropped to his knees.

"Brothers, don’t listen to this idiot! I don’t even know him! I’m just passing through!"

Kneeling on the ground, Wen Chengyu flashed an earnest smile at the black-robed figures.

Inwardly, he thanked his past self for learning from the Three Lives Sect debacle. This time, when swearing the Heavenly Oath with Wind and Moon Tower, he’d added a clause:

If the enemy proves unbeatable, or if Wind and Moon Tower dissolves… the oath is void.

Worried the black-robed figures might not believe him, Wen Chengyu even raised a finger solemnly.

"Brothers, I swear on the heavens—I have nothing to do with these people!"

For good measure, he blinked his large, innocent eyes with utmost sincerity.

Beside him, Xu Zhu’s face twisted in disbelief.

"H-how…? Why…?"

The shock and fury overwhelmed him. Blood gushed from his mouth as his spirit crumbled, aging him decades in an instant.

"Scram. Don’t let me see you again."

A hoarse voice emerged from beneath one of the black robes. The speaker didn’t even glance at Wen Chengyu, as if he were utterly beneath notice.

"Right away! I’m gone!"

Wen Chengyu scrambled to his feet and bolted without a second thought.

Though the black-robed figure’s words were harsh, Wen Chengyu’s heart blossomed with relief. He nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice, and cautiously shuffled backward to exit the hall. As he passed by several more black-robed figures near the entrance, he bowed nervously several times. The moment he finally stepped out of Moonlit Tower, he kicked off mid-air and bolted without looking back.

Watching Wen Chengyu flee as if his feet were greased, Xu Zhu coughed up another mouthful of blood.

He had never imagined that Wen Chengyu—his supposed trump card—would betray him at this critical moment, and in such a humiliating manner.

But he understood.

The reason Wen Chengyu was so terrified was that the black-robed figure before them was far more horrifying than he had ever imagined.

"Can you at least tell me what we’ve done to offend you?"

Xu Zhu had no intention of resisting. He only wanted to know the truth—how could his Moonlit Tower possibly have provoked such a formidable enemy?

"Tsk tsk…"

A cold, disdainful voice echoed from beneath the black robes.

"Because you have defied… the will of the Divine Sovereign!"