Chapter 138: The Withering of the World Tree

Ruofeng thought to herself.

She flicked her fingers gently.

Instantly, the celestial music that had been flowing through the courtyard seemed to sprout wings, soaring upward toward the skies above Southern Yi, leaping past the fluctuations. These musical notes flowed continuously like a mountain stream.

At that moment, the barrier above Southern Yi had reached its breaking point. It trembled and shuddered incessantly. With just a little more pressure, it would likely shatter!

From somewhere unknown, chains appeared in the sky, binding the barrier tightly, attempting to hold it up and prevent its collapse. Yet, the barrier trembled violently, on the verge of giving way. Just then, a sudden surge of zither music emerged, flowing like a brook, carrying countless strands of celestial energy to mend the spiritual depletion of the chains. Under the influence of this power, the cracks forming on the barrier actually began to heal.

On the other side of the boundary, someone let out a furious roar.

"What is happening? The World Tree of the Tianwu Realm is clearly failing—how has it suddenly regained the strength to heal itself?"

"I suspect someone in the Tianwu Realm is assisting the World Tree. As long as they provide a sliver of power, the World Tree can amplify it infinitely!"

"Impossible! I do not believe this power belongs to that demonic cultivator; the World Tree would never accept such an existence. Could it be that the ants of the Tianwu Realm are attempting to halt our progress?"

"This is absolutely unacceptable!"

They roared in anger.

It is unknown how long they persisted, but suddenly, a voice commanded, "Everyone, commit all your boundary stones now! We must send people through today! I want you to descend and turn the Tianwu Realm upside down! I want you to destroy the World Tree and see that everyone perishes! This is the price they pay for defying our Soul-Searching Sect!"

In an instant, they cast all their boundary stones into the breach. A force exploded forth—powerful and terrifying!

The barrier, which had been healing, began to shake once more. It was like a sudden ambush following a period of calm, catching everyone off guard. The barrier was torn asunder. The World Tree had no time to intervene. Instantly, the overwhelming aura of the Immortal Realm poured through the gap, reaching the skies above Southern Yi in the Tianwu Realm.

The Immortal Realm had successfully breached the boundary!

However, along with the celestial energy came an immense, murderous aura. It overflowed across the skies of Southern Yi like a surging tide. The Tianwu Realm, and Southern Yi itself, seemed to come alive, trembling uncontrollably.

The world could no longer hold on; all disasters erupted at once.

"Rumble!"

Thunder roared on all sides. Sacred mountains that had stood for ages collapsed one after another, billowing with dust and smoke. A certain sect’s holy site, built upon a spiritual vein, vanished in the blink of an eye as the vein shattered. Countless smaller sects in the vicinity were wiped out along with it.

On the plains, sand and stone flew, and the very earth twisted and warped. In the deserts, countless wails echoed. The world was crumbling, perishing. Even the rivers went mad, surging onto the banks and swallowing countless villages. The apocalypse had arrived!

"No!" An old sect leader watched with bloodshot eyes as the mountain ranges collapsed; before he could save anyone, his sect was buried in an instant.

"Save me... please, save me..." a little girl cried out. But her voice grew distant and faded, leaving only a gaping, bloodthirsty chasm in the earth.

"Go! Don't look back!" A male cultivator used all his remaining strength to push the woman beside him away, only to fall into an infinite abyss, vanishing in a heartbeat.

Whether mortal or cultivator, in the face of such a cataclysm in the Tianwu Realm, they were but ants, powerless to resist.

...

At this moment, beneath the mysterious yellow clouds, the land was in ruins. The once-dense sea of clouds had thinned to a mere wisp. The World Tree was no longer hidden, exposed fully to everyone’s sight. That ancient, titanic World Tree now resembled a gaunt, withered old man.

Every branch on its body aged in an instant, and its massive, sprawling roots bore many scars. The World Tree, which once radiated vibrant life, was now utterly drained of spirit. A group of figures in black robes stood at the edge of the cloud sea, laughing wildly.

"Haha, the World Tree of this world has finally exhausted all its energy!"

"Even the mysterious yellow clouds have vanished. It seems this will be as easy as taking something from a bag!"

"Let’s move!" the group shouted excitedly. They had wasted so much time in this so-called Tianwu Realm, and several of their companions had died one after another. Now, victory was finally within reach. They could finally claim the World Tree and leave. With the World Tree’s defenses all but gone, it was theirs for the taking!

Just then, Shen Bing sneered. "Let us wait a moment longer; we cannot act rashly yet. It would be troublesome if those people from Yunjian City were to discover us and cause complications..."

...

Southern Yi.

After the World Tree failed to hold its ground, the rift to the upper realm widened further. The dense aura of the Immortal Realm swept across the entire Tianwu Realm. Soon, a figure flickered. Someone had descended from the boundary to the skies above the Tianwu Realm.

The newcomer appeared to be a middle-aged man, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked down at the world with cold indifference, hovering arrogantly above all of the Tianwu Realm.

"The people of the Tianwu Realm harbor demonic cultivators and obstruct our sect’s mission to purge evil. Your crimes merit the annihilation of your world!"

His booming, powerful voice reached the ears of everyone in the Tianwu Realm. Panic seized the entire world.

"Is this the end of our Tianwu Realm? It can't be... are we truly to be erased?"

"We are all going to die!"

"I don't want to die! Who exactly provoked them?"

"When an Immortal rages, a million corpses fall!"

Everyone lamented in despair. This was the power of the Immortal Realm; no one dared to resist. It was all in vain; they were powerless to struggle.

"No one can save us. It seems the Tianwu Realm is truly destined to vanish..." Master Kongling of the Kongling Temple, clad in a red cassock, chanted softly. "It seems that after all our years of cultivation, today we shall return to the Western Paradise..."