Chapter 87: The Arrival of the Twelve Imperial Paths

Ye Xin departed from Nine Cauldrons City, heading north. It wasn't long before they reached Twin Ridge Mountain, which had become a single ridge; one of the peaks had been sheared off, and under the moonlight, its shape was clearly visible.

Suddenly, Ye Xin halted, gazing at the now-diminished peak, recalling the scene as it once was. Turbulent emotions stirred in his heart. Hearing is not the same as seeing; that had been the first time Ye Xin witnessed the power to move mountains and fill seas with his own eyes, and it had pointed him toward a future path.

Xue Baiqi rode up beside Ye Xin and whispered, "Sir, Fu Shang and the others are still waiting ahead."

"Alright, let’s keep moving," Ye Xin replied, withdrawing his gaze.

Little did Ye Xin know that as he turned his eyes away, something mysterious was unfolding atop Twin Ridge Mountain.

Two strange entities hovered in midair, formless, composed of countless points of light, as dazzling as a river of stars. Though small in size, they seemed to conceal endless secrets, unfathomably deep.

Aside from the two star clusters, seven or eight human figures stood nearby in silence.

"It seems he really has vanished without a trace," one of the star clusters spoke, its voice resonant and magnetic. "If he were still here, he would sense our presence."

"What should we do now?" asked the other cluster, a woman's voice.

"What else? We must accept our loss," the man replied.

"This time it was the Scarlet Sun Path; next time, will it be you or me? Or perhaps one of them?" the woman said.

The man fell silent for a long while before replying slowly, "We can only keep out of his way. In truth, this was his fault to begin with. If, in the World of Law’s Destruction, he could have exercised restraint, things would never have reached this point."

"So be it. If even you wish to avoid trouble, then I shall act wisely and protect myself as well," the woman said. "In that case, we should leave."

"Wait," the man suddenly interjected.

"What is it? Are you still thinking about his soul imprint?" the woman asked.

"What was truly valuable has long since fallen into Hong Xu’s hands," the man replied. "But have you forgotten about the Palace Star?"

"The Palace Star is destroyed; what's left of its soul imprint is useless," the woman said.

"Useless to us, of course." The man paused. "He reached a realm where his magical power connected to the divine; with his abilities, he should have found a way to preserve his Palace Star."

"If the Palace Star were intact, how could there be no response at all?" the woman asked.

"Perhaps... it has already returned to its origin," the man mused.

"Returned to its origin? You mean... this Mortal Dust World has gained a destined inheritor, someone who’s taken up his mantle?" the woman asked.

"It’s possible," the man said.

"Even if such a person exists, what does it matter to us?" the woman paused. "Are you thinking of becoming a guide?"

"Is that so bad?" the man countered.

"It’s rare, but you’re still interested in such things," the woman laughed. "Don’t tell me you want to remain here!"

"Of course I’ll return," the man replied. "Nisheng!"

"Yes, master!" An elder stepped forward in response.

"You will stay in the Mortal Dust World, find the inheritor of the Palace Star, and guide him through the realms," the man instructed.

"W-what?!" The old man’s face turned ashen. Though he was accustomed to obeying orders, at this moment he could not contain himself.

A series of halos shot from the star cluster, striking the old man one after another. With each blow, he grew weaker, until at last he collapsed and could no longer move.

"I have sealed ninety percent of your cultivation. Each time you guide someone through a realm, a seal will unlock. Though you won't be able to wield chaos at will, you’ll retain enough skill to survive and avoid drawing too much attention—otherwise, disaster might follow," the man said.

The old man's lips quivered violently, despair filling his eyes.

"You old fool, don’t you see this is a stroke of great fortune?" the woman laughed. "You should know, with your cultivation you could never break into the World of Law's Destruction. Starting afresh will strengthen your foundation immeasurably. If you can return, breaking through will no longer be a problem."

Cultivation was the lifeblood of practitioners. The old man grumbled inwardly, thinking: If this path were so wonderful, why don't you walk it yourselves? Of course, he dared not speak, only nodding meekly, nearly moved to tears.

"Nisheng, do you know what it takes to be a proper guide?" the man asked.

"I... I do not, master..." the old man replied, trembling.

"Find the inheritor of the Palace Star. Do not interfere with his choices; let him act according to his will," the man instructed. "Only when he reaches the stage of completion should you offer guidance."

"And if he dies?" the old man asked.

"If he dies, so be it. I gave him a chance; his fate is his own," the man replied.

"But master, I am weak and alone, I fear..."

"Weak and alone?" The man laughed loudly. "Any practitioner might claim that, but not us Twelve Imperial Paths! For every shining star in the world, we have a Star Hall!"

"We do have many practitioners, but they are a scattered force," the woman sighed. "If all main halls united, that Hong Xu would have been crushed long ago."

"Perhaps that little fellow will bring us change and opportunity," the man said.

"I admire you for that: always seeing the best in everything," the woman said.

"Nisheng, your first task is to bring him into the Star Hall. After that, his life or death is no concern. But you must not deliberately suppress him. Remember, the ashes of the Palace Star rest with him; if they ignite again, your reward will speak for itself—perhaps you will even find a place in the World of Law’s Destruction," the man said.

"I understand, master," the old man replied, trembling.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot from the star cluster, expanding rapidly, revealing another world within the chamber.

Amidst encircling mountains stood more than a hundred tall towers. Countless practitioners looked up toward them, and a tidal wave of excitement swept through; the crowd fell prostrate, desperately bowing in worship.

"If you ever feel weak or alone, all of them are yours to command," the man said softly. "Nisheng, do your best."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two star clusters began to collapse, and the surrounding figures were involuntarily drawn in. In moments, only the old man remained atop the mountain.

He still sat collapsed on the ground, his carefully suppressed tears now streaming freely. The blow had been too great, and he had never believed he might enter the World of Law’s Destruction. To pay such a price and gain nothing left him utterly hopeless.

After a long time, the old man suddenly stood, roaring at the sky, "It’s all your fault! What damned fate! You’ve ruined me! I’ll kill you... kill you!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something, shaking his head in panic, muttering to himself, "No, no, I can’t suppress him... nor can I kill him, or I’ll be finished..."

Ye Xin and his group pressed on for dozens more miles, when suddenly they saw a campfire by the roadside ahead. As they approached, they found six young men seated around the fire. Seeing Ye Xin, the six sprang to their feet, visibly excited.

"Sir!" The leader was a short, stout fellow, who bowed to Ye Xin respectfully.

"Fu Shang, you’ve done well," Ye Xin nodded.

"You flatter me, sir," Fu Shang replied quickly.

"Why are there only a few of you?" Ye Xin asked.

"This time, we only needed to escort Song Zidan back to Nine Cauldrons City. The six of us were enough," Fu Shang explained. "The other brothers are busy elsewhere."

"Very well, let them be. You all, pack up and follow me," Ye Xin commanded.

"Sir, where are we going?" Fu Shang asked.

"You must have heard of the grand invasion by the Great Summoning Kingdom?" Ye Xin smiled. "Where else? To war."

Fu Shang was taken aback; the other young men’s expressions changed as well. A moment ago, they seemed ordinary, nothing remarkable. But upon hearing Ye Xin mention war, a fierce light flashed in their eyes. Each seemed to become a human beast, their souls baring fangs and claws.

"To war... Good! Very good..." Fu Shang ran his tongue over his lips, letting out a strange laugh.

Behind them, Qiu Jiecha observed all this. He knew Ye Xin’s identity, but hadn’t noticed one crucial detail: why were all Ye Xin’s subordinates young men?

At its root, this revealed Ye Xin’s ruthlessness. He valued only character, believing it could be cultivated, so young men’s character could be shaped. Those hardened villains aged thirty or forty were beyond redemption—old habits die hard. Ye Xin chose to let them go.

There were examples in the world of sudden reform, where a villain became a virtuous and idealistic person, but such cases were rare; Ye Xin did not believe such miracles would happen frequently around him.

Xue Baiqi, Hao Fei, and the others survived the battlefield not by luck or fortune, but because Ye Xin deliberately protected them.

"Hmm? Why isn’t Mo Yan here?" Fu Shang noticed Mo Yan’s absence.

"He had other matters," Ye Xin replied.

"What? How will we fight without him?" Fu Shang was stunned again—not doubting Ye Xin’s ability, but stating a fact acknowledged by all in the Heaven’s Sin Battalion.

"We can’t rely too much on his Demon Eye," Ye Xin shook his head. "Otherwise, it will become our weakness."

(Wishing everyone a happy new year. Another year has passed, and with your companionship, I’ve made it through once more. My gratitude is beyond words. Sometimes I imagine: when I am old, and you are old, you still reading, I still writing—what a perfect life that would be...)