"The aftermath of the Great Calamity continues to this day. What collapsed was not just the land of the Western Oxhorn Continent, but the very heavens and earth that bore all things."
"During the calamity, a divine dragon emerged, bearing the fate of the tribulation. The burden it carried was solely the fortune of the mortal realm—a desperate gamble by the world, staking everything on a single decisive battle."
"At that time, nearly all the world's fortune converged upon the divine dragon. Fortune was not merely about rare treasures, protective artifacts, or the heavens' acknowledgment. Most crucially, it was the unwavering support and recognition of humanity and other races, who pledged their all without hesitation."
"Faced with impending desolation and no retreat, humanity chose to place their bets on the divine dragon."
“But the outcome was utter darkness. The divine dragon perished at the border between the Western Oxhorn Continent and the Southern Zhanbu Continent, and the mortal fortune it carried scattered completely.”
Xu Jin's gaze remained fixed on the faintly glowing, amber-hued orb of fortune as he solemnly continued:
"Ancient texts record that the moment the divine dragon fell, the sky transformed into a riot of colors, as though the gates of heaven had flung open. Countless strands of fortune fled across the continents, with some intercepted in the Western Oxhorn Continent, falling into the hands of the [Demons]."
"That day, though the sky shimmered with hues, all knew it was an omen of heaven's collapse."
If even the divine dragon, bearing the weight of heaven and earth's fortune and staking everything, perished at the Southern Zhanbu Continent, how could we hope to reclaim the scattered fortune? And even if we could, who's to say it wouldn't birth another divine dragon?
"Yet... our ancestors knew no fear of hardship, only the pursuit of a future."
"Difficult, but unavoidable."
"Humanity turned to face the [Demons] while also seeking the scattered fortune."
"But fortune, when unbound, is a free thing. Great opportunities belonged to all, and those blessed by fortune became countless."
"This was no blessing. Fortune represented destiny, and with destiny scattered, hearts grew divided. Misdeeds were committed in its name."
"The world nearly regressed to a lawless wasteland, where life and death were decided on a whim."
"In the end... our ancestors chose a last stand—either humanity would overcome the calamity, or perish entirely."
Xu Jin channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into one of the crystalline fragments of law. Instantly, it blazed with light.
The surroundings shifted, revealing countless plainly dressed cultivators soaring through the skies, their numbers blotting out the sun.
Ahead lay only darkness and crimson. Yet these cultivators advanced without hesitation.
Knowing it was death, they marched forward—for the sake of the future.
Xu Jin withdrew his hand and turned to Chu Xingchen. "Even so, the fortune humanity bore was insufficient to withstand the calamity. If the divine dragon fell, how could we, who had only reclaimed fragments of fortune, hope to prevail?"
"The world's fortune had dried up. What little remained... was in the heavens."
"It was then that the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect was founded, to bear the fortune of heaven!"
"But this came at a cost. On that day, a celestial marvel descended—a cascade of white light."
"Beyond heaven's fortune, there were these laws... No one knows what price heaven paid. Only that after the calamity, no one ever ascended again."
"Others assumed it was due to insufficient cultivation, but we believe heaven could no longer bear the weight of ascension."
"The Dao of Heaven is impartial, treating all beings as straw dogs—immortals and mortals alike. It protects them equally."
"The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect bore heaven's fortune, while humanity bore the world's. Even then, the price to quell the calamity was immense."
"After the calamity, humanity flourished, and the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, bearing heaven's mandate, became the undisputed foremost immortal sect of the flourishing mortal realm."
As Xu Jin's words faded, the glow from the crystalline law dimmed.
Chu Xingchen met his gaze steadily.
Xu Jin lowered his eyes, gesturing to the surrounding graves before continuing:
"After the calamity, as humanity thrived, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, under heaven's mandate, gradually reclaimed much of the scattered fortune—though it had shifted from the world's fortune to humanity's."
"At the same time, the sect sought a way to return heaven's fortune."
"In the end, the sect's Elder, knowing full well that ascension meant certain annihilation, chose to ascend and seek answers on how to return heaven's mandate."
"For as long as the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect held heaven's fortune, ascension would remain impossible—cutting off the ultimate path for all cultivators."
"We, too, are cultivators, yearning for the Great Dao. And to hold heaven's fortune is to bear its endless responsibilities. What one possesses, one must uphold."
"The answer they received was... 'The calamity persists. There is no need to return it.'"
"By then, the [Demons] had been hunted to the last, so the elders surmised it must herald a new calamity."
"Thus, you must understand—for the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect, bearing heaven's fortune, to monopolize the spirit veins at all costs seems a losing gamble."
"And yet... it is the only choice."
Xu Jin raised his hand, summoning the smallest fragment of crystalline law and floating it before Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen studied it, sensing the purest essence of law within.
Xu Jin spoke calmly, "This is the reason for our actions. If it's you, Brother Chu, a mere touch should reveal the truth."
Chu Xingchen took a deep breath, his right hand tightening around the small sword while his left reached tentatively toward the crystal.
It wasn't that he fully trusted Xu Jin's words, but the needle-like weapon hidden in his sleeve, Wàn Bān, resonated intensely with the crystal.
And Chu Xingchen trusted Wàn Bān's instincts.
His left hand made contact.
In that instant, a scroll unfurled within his mind—a map of eighteen spirit veins, all severed at the Central Continent, their locations meticulously marked.
He withdrew his hand at once.
Xu Jin observed his reaction with a sigh. "As expected of Brother Chu..."
"You must have seen it. This is why the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect acts as it does—and why I call it heaven's mandate."
"The sect's elders deduced that the coming calamity would be even more devastating. Thus, we must gather all eighteen spirit veins in the Central Continent—to better control the situation and ensure that if disaster strikes elsewhere, the lack of spiritual energy will mitigate its severity."
"Yet even the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect cannot face the world's cultivators alone to claim all eighteen veins."
"So... we chose to divide them among eighteen immortal sects, each monopolizing one."
"Of these eighteen, perhaps only our sect knows the price to be paid."
"When the calamity comes, the eighteen sects will be the first to perish."
"Severing the spiritual veins—do you truly believe it will bring about an eternal reign of dominance?"
"Inheriting the Mandate of Heaven is never without reason."
Chu Xingchen gazed at the Rule Crystal and suddenly asked,
"If this is indeed the Mandate of Heaven, and you possess such an artifact, why did it spark such a storm of bloodshed in the past?"
"Because not everyone can perceive the truth within it," Xu Jin stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"In fact, it’s far stranger that you can directly glimpse its contents."