Nightfall

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Heaven was above the sky. Beyond the azure sky, there was the Divine Kingdom. The thunder from the Divine Kingdom was mighty, as if it was making a declaration to the human world.

Above the sea to the east of Song, an unprecedented hurricane was formed. There came a storm in Wa Mountain. Lightning flashed above the Divine Halls of West-Hill. Only Chang’an remained undisturbed. Because the Abbey Dean was here. He held an Arcane Tome, the Sky Volume.

The thunder from the Divine Kingdom rumbled and continued to demonstrate its might. The Abbey Dean did nothing but held the Sky Volume and looked calmly at the sky.

The thunder gradually lowered as if the most supreme existence had sensed some fear. The Abbey Dean remained calm and got hold of a second Arcane Tome. It was broken and many pages were missing. It was the Fall Volume.

At the edges of the world, there were the deep oceans, from the Black Sea in the very north by the snow peak to the azure Tranquil Sea in the south, and to the Storm sea.

Suddenly countless clouds poured onto the sea like falls. The mystical clouds touched the surface of the sea and formed giant walls.

The thunder from the Divine Kingdom lowered further and almost like moaning. The Abbey Dean took out the third Arcane Tome. It no longer looked like a tome, but only some remaining that looked like black ashes, or grits burnt under the sun for tens of thousands of years. Indeed, it was the Sand Volume.

All the sand on the earth started flowing gradually. The sand in the heart of the Wilderness and those by the mire flowed in the wind and devoured whatever in their way. Even light was almost devoured.

The Abbey Dean stood in the wind with his hair floating. He seemed calm and divine.

The thunder from the Divine Kingdom almost ceased and the Heaven seemed to be surrendering. Even the Abbey Dean was slightly stunned.

Countless years ago the gambling addict casted the injunction and leave the Taoism to be responsible for the world. No one ever tried to overturn it. No one even dared to think about it. But the Abbey Dean did. And now, he seemed to be succeeding. He took out the remaining four volumes of the Arcane Tomes.

When he took out the Arcane Tome of the Turn, roaring waves were formed in the tranquil lake by the Zhishou Abbey deep down in the valleys of Divine Halls of West Hill. The reflection of the seven cottages on the lake suddenly turned upright!

When he took out the Arcane Tome of the Opening, a crack was formed far away in the azure sky. Some palaces consisted of pure light were vaguely seen. It was the Divine Kingdom!

When he took out the Arcane Tome of the Sun, the sun suddenly became extremely dazzling. Lights dashed around and the magnificent palaces in the Divine Kingdom got even brighter.

When he took out the Arcane Tome of Bright, the entire world was enveloped… by light!

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The Seven Volumes of Arcane Tome represented seven words: Sun, Fall, Sand, Bright, Sky, Turn, and Open.

The sun fell, the sand brightened, and the sky turned and opened. It was the overturn of Heaven and Earth, the reconstitution of brightness, and the unfolding of the sky! The Seven Volumes of Arcane Tomes were presented in front of Chang’an.

The Divine Kingdom was unveiled in Heaven. The clouds fell like walls and encircled the world. The world was becoming increasingly bright. There was nothing but pure brightness.

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A horrifying hum was heard. Because it was created by tens of thousands of firm bowstrings, and represented the mighty killing intent of the tens of thousands of the Tang army. Tens of thousands of sharp arrows were shot at the Abbey Dean. Tens of thousands of arrows formed a black mass that swept past the high city walls and poured onto the Abbey Dean. The Abbey Dean watched the storm of arrows and raised his hand indifferently.

Another hum was heard. It was much softer than the previous one created by the tens of thousands of bowstrings. Because the air was slightly vibrated and formed a single string.

Not even a single arrow hit on him or his indigo gown. Tens of thousands of arrows were stopped abruptly and suspended in the air outside Chang’an. It formed an extremely uncanny scene!

A bird came from the woods outside the city, felt a bit tired and wanted to perch on one of the strange branches. It landed on one of the arrows and was about to stretch its wings and tide its feather. Then it sensed some unsteadiness and flew away in a chirp. The arrow it perched on fell slowly onto the ground.

The motionless scene came back to life. Tens of thousands of arrows fell like a real storm and covered the city wall of Chang’an. None of the tens of thousands of arrows could hit him. They were all ceased in the air. It seemed that the physical rules of this world failed to apply for a second. Even if it was merely a second, it was incredible and unimaginable.

Who could have comprehended and applied the rules so flawlessly? The former Sangsang could. So could the current Abbey Dean.

The connection between the human world and the Divine Kingdom was in his hands now.

On behalf of Taoism, he regained control that Haotian used to have. He was about to be united with the rules and wills in the Divine Kingdom.

The sky was turning brighter because of the blazing sun. The Divine Kingdom indistinctly shown in the azure sky seemed also blazing.

An indescribable bout of divine power fell onto the Abbey Dean from above. An indescribable beam of light fell onto Chang’an from above.

If this bout of divine power was like the sun, then the Haotian’s Divine Power they received from Tianqi was like a firefly, likewise for the Haotian’s Divine Flame created by the West-Hill Divine Skills compared with the beam of light from above.

The Abbey Dean looked calmly at Ning Que and Sangsang who were standing on top of the city wall. He seemed increasingly peaceful and emotionless.

Ning Que gazed at him while the Core Vajra of the Array turned burning hot in his hand.

The entire Chang’an was awaken. Immeasurable Qi of Heaven and Earth flowed along the streets, houses, hills, towers, lakes, temples and the invisible kennels. It created an extremely complicated array that no human being could comprehend, and formed an indistinct arch.

It was the God-Stunning Array. The beam of light fell onto the God-Stunning Array, flowed along the invisible arch and spread into the fields around Chang’an. It was charming and astonishing.

Everyone knew that if only the light beam could break through the God-Stunning Array, or even a few drops of light could penetrate the array, the entire Chang’an would be ruined and burned.

The Core Vajra of the Array was becoming increasingly hot, which meant more and more Qi of Heaven and Earth was gathered in Chang’an. It seemed steaming in Ning Que’s hand, which was probably his sweat evaporated.

The divine power falling from above was indeed horrifying. How long could the God-Stunning Array stand?

Ning Que was turning pale. Sangsang seemed paler. Especially when she saw the Divine Kingdom far away in the azure sky, the burning sun and the falling light beam, she seemed scared.

The sun was indeed burning and pouring immeasurable lights. The storm above the East Sea was evaporated. The reeds in the Great Swamp were dried. The cloud walls around the world reflected and refracted the light back to the world, and made the human world even more dazzling.

No one could stare directly at the sun. The Abbey Dean flew to the same height of the city wall, stared at her and said, “Come on.”

There was no emotion shown on his face nor in his voice. However he seemed somewhat sympathetic.

Sangsang started shivering. Her worn-out green flowery dress started shivering together.

With every shiver, color was drained further from her eyes and a few golden particles were spilled from the green flowery dress.

The collection of the golden particles formed an indistinct human figure. Where did that golden figure come from? Or could that be her soul? Sangsang frowned in pain.

The golden figure drifted slowly from her body toward outside the city.

The God-Stunning Array could withstand the divine power from above. But it could not stop this.

The golden figure was drifting toward the Abbey Dean.

Right then he already opened the first Arcane Tome he took out, the Arcane Tome of the Sky.

Would that golden figure stripped from Sangsang become an image in the Arcane Tome of the Sky?

With the Seven Volumes of Arcane Tomes, the Abbey Dean unfolded the sky and received the divine power of integrated impersonal rules and wills. If he was about to become the new Haotian, he would need the divine character.

What was the divine character? The divine character was not the core of power, but the nature. In short, what made a god a god? Why should he be addressed as a god? It could be loosely explained as he was qualified.

In other words, a human being was called a human being because he had the human nature. A god was called a god because he had the divine nature. The divine character was the god’s character. It was the existence beyond all impersonal wills.

Of course, by beyond it could either mean surpassing or degenerating.

Sangsang was awakened and acquired subjective consciousness. Then she acquired Haotian’s divine character.

What the Abbey Dean was doing now was to strip the divine character from her. Who could ever stop him?

It was high noon and the sun became even more blazing. The light beam from above pressed the protecting arch above Chang’an further downward. The light streams poured onto the fields set the ground on fire.

Ning Que held Sangsang in his arms. While the golden figure was stripped out of her, Sangsang became weaker and paler.

Looking at the light streams in the sky, he recalled what happened in the Lanke Temple many years ago. In the last round of chess Sangsang and Master Qishan played, Sangsang was continuously hunted down in the world inside the chessboard.

Right now the Abbey Dean represented the rules. The rules were unbreakable therefore almighty. Even the God-Stunning Array could no longer attack but merely struggle. Because Chang’an was also a part of this world.

Being a part of the world, it had to obey the rules. Unless someone could acquire the State of No Rules as the Headmaster did. No Rules, not Distanceless.

The State of No Rules was probably the ultimate level in human cultivation. When someone acquired that state, he could act with and respect no rules. Ning Que could not. No one after the Headmaster could ever acquire No Rules again. Therefore he had to try breaking the world.