Chapter 538: Blind

huan sha felt her chest tighten and instinctively blurted out, "no!"she believed qi yuan had agreed to liu chudong’s proposal: to sacrifice himself and restore the divine descent.

this was something she could not bear to see.

her faith lay in the divine descent, no matter its form.

liu chudong, solemn and full of respect, said, “everyone has the right to make their own choices. no matter what brother qi decides, i will support and understand it.

i also know that i shouldn’t have said what i did, but i had no other choice.

i never thought… brother qi would actually agree.”

qi yuan blinked and replied, “who said i’m going to erase my consciousness?”

as he spoke, he took out a radiant sword from his storage artifact and handed it to huan sha.

“i will be leaving the rosha kingdom. i don’t know when i’ll return. during this time, i entrust the stability of the rosha kingdom to you all.

if an undefeatable enemy appears, activate this weapon, and the divine descent will manifest.”

the divine descent that drank the toxic rain had indeed been destroyed.

but as qi yuan’s roleplay progressed, the divine descent seemed to have “respawned,” like a boss in a game.

the descent of the divine could still be used.

“as for the divine descent’s expectations…” qi yuan turned to liu chudong. “when i return, perhaps everything will already be resolved.”

“you’re leaving?” liu chudong asked in surprise.

even liu sheng looked astonished.

in liu sheng’s eyes, now that the divine descent had developed its own consciousness, it was no longer an artifact but a divine-tier entity—a godlike figure akin to a human.

and like all humans, it would inevitably have emotions, desires, and attachments.

the rosha kingdom, once the greatest nation in the world, remained among the top three powers even in its decline.

wealth, resources, authority, beauty—everything was readily available.

even divine-tier weapon masters like liu sheng himself would find it nearly impossible to relinquish all of this.

but qi yuan was about to leave it behind.

“yes, i’m leaving the rosha kingdom. i still have many pressing matters to attend to,” qi yuan explained.

liu chudong was stunned. she had not expected qi yuan to leave so suddenly.

unable to hold back, liu sheng asked, “why not rest for a few years before leaving?”

“no. time is as precious as gold. i have to leave immediately,” qi yuan said earnestly.

with that, he vanished without a trace.

chen kangbao, munching on a steamed bun, looked up and grinned with excitement. “alright! let’s go!”

the carriage, which had arrived with such fanfare, now departed in silence.

under the cover of night, no one knew that the terrifying god who had slaughtered the divine-tier weapon masters and shaken the rosha kingdom to its core had already departed.

liu sheng watched the carriage fade into the distance, his heart filled with countless unspoken words.

not even staying a single night?

no rest in the royal palace or enjoyment of its luxuries?

his admiration for qi yuan deepened.

if it had been him, there was no way he could have left so easily.

even if he had to leave, he would have at least stayed one more night to savor the comforts.

the royal harem, filled with countless beauties, would not have required coercion—they would have willingly come forward on their own.

of course, such thoughts were merely fantasies.

“brother qi… truly a saint among men.” liu sheng sighed in awe.

“are you ready? i’m heading to the divine wood abyss,” qi yuan sent a new message through the divine wood token after scanning its contents.

the npc guide responded, as always: “i’m surprised you’re still alive. you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

ji wuyun also logged in. “brother qi… you’re not dead?”

her hair was still wet, as she had just been bathing.

“don’t jinx me. even if you died, i wouldn’t,” qi yuan replied. “by the way, this void paradise—do you have to constantly take missions? if so, don’t bother introducing me. i’m not one for restrictions.”

the thorned blood representative paused for a moment before replying, “that attitude suits you. a pity, though.”

it was indeed a pity.

remaining in this universe offered no future.

only by joining the void paradise and entering the zhou universe could one escape the looming calamities.

“i’ve wrapped up my business here. shall we meet at the divine wood abyss?” qi yuan suggested. “i can also help oversee whether your thorned blood team has been properly training.”

the time for his role as the blind artifact master was fast approaching. if he didn’t meet them at the divine wood abyss soon, he would lose his sight entirely.

once blind, qi yuan would no longer be able to perceive information disparities or communicate through the divine wood token effectively.

this would heavily impact his ability to fight.

“those divine-tier members of thorned blood wouldn’t dare approach you right now,” the representative admitted. “but between missions and the divine wood abyss, i’m more curious about the latter. even yang gods are said to be interested in it.”

the yang god sovereigns were mighty figures in the zhou universe—individuals he could only look up to.

through his ancestors, he learned that the divine wood abyss was far more complex than it appeared.

though this universe was less than one percent the size of the zhou universe, it was still vast beyond measure.

even the strongest yin gods could not explore it fully within their lifetimes.

among countless worlds, those containing a divine wood abyss were exceedingly rare.

after some thought, the representative decided it would be best to explore the abyss with qi yuan before completing his tasks.

as for qi yuan… he was undeniably strong.

but the representative was no weakling either.

standing at the pinnacle of the three steps, equipped with powerful tools from the void paradise, he was confident he could escape even if qi yuan attacked.

aside from the ancestor gods of this universe or peak-level yin gods, there were few who could truly threaten him.

“they’re not coming?” qi yuan didn’t seem to mind.

within the divine wood abyss lay the divine wood.

according to his information, the divine wood was the best material for crafting artifacts.

many of the world’s most powerful artifacts were forged from divine wood.

since qi yuan planned to craft a new divine descent, visiting the divine wood abyss was a necessary step.

“give me the exact location of the divine wood abyss. i’ll head there now,” qi yuan said.

“it lies in the far west of the rosha kingdom, in the land where the sun sets.”

qi yuan looked up at the sparse stars in the night sky. “can you be more specific?”

“it’s beneath sunset cliff.”

the divine wood abyss was a secretive place, known to few, but sunset cliff was widely recognized.

“old man, do you know where sunset cliff is?” qi yuan asked casually.

“of course i do.” chen kangbao replied eagerly. “when i was a child, i heard the story of quark chasing the sun.”

“quark chasing the sun?”

qi yuan fell silent.

he had once told many modified myths to silent voice, one of which included the story of quark chasing the sun.

“quark had an elder brother named kuafu, a towering figure who chased the sun across the heavens but ultimately perished.

quark, though small and nearly invisible to the human eye, couldn’t bear to see his brother die. he followed in kuafu’s footsteps, chasing the sun until it fell into sunset cliff. then, he leapt after it.”

“what a touching story. whoever came up with it must be very profound,” qi yuan commented dryly. s~eaʀᴄh the nôvel_fire.ηet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“i found a map of the blue mountain realm in the royal treasury. are you heading to sunset cliff, young master?” chen kangbao asked.

“yes.” qi yuan nodded.

at that moment, a message arrived through the divine wood token from ji wuyun.

“shall we meet there?” she asked, sounding hesitant.

“if you’re afraid, you might as well hand the divine wood token to brother qi,” the thorned blood representative suggested.

after a moment of hesitation, ji wuyun replied firmly, “i’ll go.”

“i should arrive in about a month. let’s hope this meeting doesn’t end in disaster.”

she added, jokingly, “oops, i think i just jinxed it.

but no worries. with my luck, if something bad happens, it won’t happen to me.”

under the starry sky, qi yuan’s journey continued tirelessly.

braving rain, wind, and dust, he pressed forward without rest.

this time, his pace was far swifter than usual. in less than a month, he reached sunset cliff ahead of schedule.

sunset cliff, situated at the westernmost edge of the rosha kingdom, was a barren and rugged place.

the ground was littered with jagged rocks, and hardly any vegetation grew there.

as the sun dipped toward the horizon, it seemed to plunge directly into the abyss below the cliff.

“young master, there’s a monument here,” chen kangbao called out.

he approached the stone marker, studying the ancient characters carved into its surface.

reading aloud, he said:

“in the days of old, there stood a tree, still and silent in chaos.

now i long for you, as the tree yearns for spring.

subtle, oh so subtle—do not seek me.”

the words echoed faintly in the desolate landscape, carrying a sense of ancient sorrow and profound loneliness.

the carriage’s curtain was drawn back, and a tall figure stepped down.

upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes lacked focus, the pupils dull and empty.

his attire was simple and slightly thin, revealing sharp, well-defined features. though his face still bore some flesh, his expression radiated an air of solitude and melancholy.

sunset cliff wasn’t a secret location—many young couples and travelers came here to enjoy the view.

naturally, the sight of qi yuan and his servant drew attention from onlookers.

when people caught sight of the handsome, blind young man, a mixture of surprise and pity filled their faces.

“such a handsome man… what a shame he’s blind,” some murmured.

this blind young man was, of course, qi yuan.

a few days ago, the conditions of his next role had taken effect, and qi yuan had no choice but to embody the blind artifact master.

this role came with strict limitations—if he failed to complete his performance, he would remain in this state indefinitely.

the most defining characteristic of the blind artifact master was, naturally, his blindness.

additionally, the blind artifact master was a solitary and reclusive figure, a genius craftsman with a touch of madness.

lastly, his life was one of utter isolation. no wife, no friends—he lived a life even more pitiful than qi yuan’s previous role as a disgraced son-in-law.

the moment qi yuan took on the role, he felt his personality shift. he became more reserved, his emotions subdued. the burden of his loneliness weighed heavily on him.

and, of course, he lost his sight.

wherever he turned his gaze, all he could see was darkness—or, occasionally, faint flickers of red light.

“is it up ahead? let me feel my way there.”

qi yuan had heard whispers of this monument in the past. the phrase “subtle, oh so subtle—do not seek me” had always intrigued him.

now that he stood before it, his curiosity was piqued.

“be careful, young master. the ground is littered with stones,” chen kangbao warned.

“relax. just because i’m blind doesn’t mean i’ll trip over a stone and fall into the cliff…” qi yuan trailed off, adding wryly, “…right?”

he made his way toward the monument, his steps steady despite his blindness.

from behind, a young woman’s voice rang out in warning.

“hey, blind man! don’t go any farther! the path is uneven—you might fall!”

qi yuan nodded but didn’t respond.

the blind artifact master was a reserved and aloof figure who disliked conversation. if he wanted to stay true to his role, he had to act the part.

the young woman, annoyed by his lack of response, muttered under her breath:

“ungrateful fool… fine, go ahead and fall…”

before she could finish her thought, her eyes widened in shock.

“help! someone fell off sunset cliff!”

the person who had fallen was none other than the blind young man she had just warned—qi yuan.

when qi yuan’s hand brushed against the monument, an overwhelming force suddenly erupted.

caught off guard, he was swept off his feet and hurled into the abyss below.

even as he plummeted, qi yuan remained calm.

with his strength, he could have easily propelled himself back to safety.

but as he fell, he caught a faint, unusual scent—a blend of leaves, grass, and flowing water.

intrigued, he decided to let himself fall.

however, as he descended, qi yuan noticed something alarming.

“wait… my divine power…”

his expression darkened.

his divine power, which had always been a reliable source of strength, was rapidly weakening.

“is this… a place of absolute suppression?”

he frowned.

“what if i actually die from this fall? that would be the most humiliating death imaginable.”

though frustrated, qi yuan still had some divine power left.

without hesitation, he adjusted his body midair, channeling what little strength he had to slow his descent.

“let’s hope i land in a river.”

with a heavy thud, qi yuan landed on something soft yet sturdy—like a net or a tangle of ropes.

the impact sent a sharp pain through his chest. he coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth, mixed with fragments of broken flesh.

qi yuan couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

“i came out of a battle against six divine-tier weapon masters unscathed, and now a fall has injured me? ridiculous.”

at this moment, qi yuan was in bad shape. his injuries were severe, and he was tangled in what felt like ropes or vines.

“cough… cough…” his breathing grew labored.

“the deeper i go, the stronger the suppression. right now… i’m barely stronger than an ordinary person.”

this condition was troubling. if things continued this way, qi yuan might actually die here.

amidst the rustling of leaves, faint footsteps approached.

the sound was light but deliberate, as if the person was treading carefully.

struggling to lift his head, qi yuan turned toward the sound.

but his blind eyes revealed nothing.

a crisp, clear voice called out, filled with curiosity and a faint sense of detachment:

“who’s there? are you alive?”

“cough… i’m alive. i fell from above,” qi yuan rasped, his voice weak.

he clawed at the ropes binding him, trying to free himself.

“you broke my swing, didn’t you?” the voice asked again, this time with a hint of annoyance.

qi yuan paused, confused. “a swing? maybe i did…”

his injuries were worsening, and every word felt like a monumental effort.

“you’re going to pay for that!” the voice said coldly, leaving no room for argument.

“save me… i’ll pay you ten thousand swings,” qi yuan muttered before losing consciousness.

the girl, sensing no response, murmured to herself:

“where are you? why aren’t you answering?”

a pause.

“you’re not dead, are you?”

she hesitated, then added in a flat tone:

“if you are… maybe i’ll bury you under the tree as fertilizer.”

carefully, she approached qi yuan, her footsteps slow and cautious.

if qi yuan could still see, he would have noticed something extraordinary about the girl:

she was blind.

finally, the girl stopped in front of him. her unfocused eyes revealed a mix of emotions—confusion, concern, and a trace of warmth.

“it’s been so long… since anyone came here.”

with slender fingers, she reached out and placed her hand on qi yuan’s chest, examining his condition.

her expression turned serious.

“his injuries are severe. he almost died.”

she hesitated briefly, then bit down on her own pale wrist.

drops of her blood fell into qi yuan’s mouth.

as the color drained from her face, leaving her as pale as paper, she whispered to herself:

“i want to leave this place…”