Chapter 1692 : Willowdown Manor

As Chen Xianzhu was lost in thought, Susu walked over from outside the courtyard.

Seeing him in the courtyard, she approached with concern and said, "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Why aren't you resting inside?"

Chen Xianzhu shook his head and said calmly, "I'm already largely recovered. All I need now is some time to recuperate."

Bai Susu finally let out a sigh of relief, a faint smile gracing her lips.

In the days that followed, Chen Xianzhu settled into the mountain villa, striving to recuperate and regulate the injuries within his body.

And Bai Susu stayed by his side, tending to him day and night with meticulous care, making the days exceptionally tranquil and serene.

Thus, in the blink of an eye, 3 months had passed. Although Chen Xianzhu (Person Name) still struggled to harness even a trace of his innate power, the foreign energies raging within his body had finally ceased their deterioration under his persistent refinement.

"Now, we await the day the world meets its doom."

Chen Xianzhu murmured inwardly, yet his gaze drifted toward the white-robed woman beside him, his heart inexplicably growing heavy.

He was born a banished immortal, with his father obtaining a True Dragon Relic to serve as his vessel of conception. His innate foundation and potential placed him among the truly peerless prodigies amidst the hundreds of millions of beings across the boundless heavens and earth.

Throughout his entire life of cultivation, he had scarcely encountered the mortal cycles of birth, aging, sickness, and death, nor had he ever truly tasted that particular bitterness and helplessness.

During these days, his physical body had been entirely dependent on the care of the woman in white. An inexplicable sense of closeness had grown within him toward this mortal woman, and his heart of stone, unyielding for a million years, seemed to have softened ever so slightly at a certain moment.

He could not bear to watch such a woman grow old and die before his very eyes.

In his prime, with the profound cultivation of the Taiyi Realm, he could have restored Bai Susu's spiritual roots and primordial essence with a mere snap of his fingers—even aiding her ascension to immortality would have been no great challenge.

Yet in his current state, there wasn't a trace of spiritual power within him. His soul was so feeble it verged on collapse, and he couldn't even muster a wisp of rule-based energy. How could he possibly defy the heavens to alter Su Su's fate?

At this thought, Chen Xianzhu's heart grew increasingly heavy, a tinge of melancholy clouding his brow.

Seeing this, Susu couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

"Nothing."

Chen Xianzhu shook his head, then seized the opportunity to inquire, "I've heard these past days have grown increasingly turbulent with war and chaos outside. How do things stand now?"

Bai Susu (Person Name) let out a soft sigh and said, "The rebels in Dongyan Province (Place Name) have already seized nearly half of the cities. Instead of rushing to confront the enemy, the imperial court’s general sent to suppress the rebellion has been burning, killing, and plundering every place he passes through."

"Now, the vast expanse of Eastern Expanse Prefecture is teeming with refugees and bandits. The situation outside grows increasingly chaotic by the day."

As Bai Susu narrated, Chen Xianzhu instantly grasped the current situation of the Northern Martial Continent.

Over the years, as the spiritual energy between heaven and earth grew increasingly scarce, the natural environment had gradually become more and more hostile.

In recent centuries, the Northern Wu Continent has been plagued by relentless disasters—scorching droughts spanning thousands of miles 1 moment, catastrophic floods submerging vast fields the next. Crops frequently withered to barren stalks, driving countless commonfolk to desperation. Many resorted to gnawing on tree bark and digging for roots, while some were even reduced to the unthinkable horror of exchanging children to survive.

Last year, the Great Sun Dynasty mourned the passing of Emperor Ai. With the new emperor being young and ignorant, power fell into the hands of Chancellor Wei. Natural disasters swept across the land, yet the court showed no intention of providing relief, instead intensifying its efforts to extort grain and wealth from the people.

By this year, a rare drought had struck Dongyan Province, leaving the common folk with no means of survival. Driven to desperation, they had no choice but to raise the banner of rebellion.

The imperial court dispatched troops to quell the rebellion, yet before even confronting the rebel forces, they began burning, killing, and plundering, seizing the common people’s grain and livestock. As a result, the suffering in Dongyan Province grew ever more unbearable, reaching a point where nearly 9 out of 10 homes stood empty.

"Alas."

Chen Xianzhu listened, and an inexplicable sentiment stirred within his heart.

Throughout his life, he had always been triumphant and unstoppable. From his humble beginnings as a mortal to attaining immortality, he had crushed all adversaries in his path, never truly experiencing the bitterness of mortal suffering. Now, immersed in the turbulent sea of mortal desires, he finally understood the helplessness of ordinary people.

He knew full well in his heart that this was an inevitable occurrence at the end of the world.

As the resources between heaven and earth grew increasingly scarce and the environment turned ever more hostile, even the lofty innate martial artists and Divine Ability Venerables of this realm would eventually have to cast aside their pride and personally descend to contend for meager resources.

This was the end of all ends. Unless an immortal descended to the mortal realm and used heaven-defying means to grant this world another lease on life, there would ultimately be no reversing this doomed fate.

Yet within the boundless dimensions, such insignificant minor worlds exist in numbers as countless as the sands of the Ganges, beyond all reckoning—even immortals cannot oversee them all.

At this thought, Chen Xianzhu looked at Susu and asked with concern, "The world is in chaos now. You must be careful as well."

Hearing his concern, a warmth blossomed in Bai Susu’s heart. She replied, “There’s no need to worry. Willow Catkin Manor is a renowned martial sect in the Northern Martial Continent, and my father is an Innate Realm expert. There are few places in this world safer than here.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xianzhu gave a slight nod.

He said no more, merely gazing at the boundless drifting clouds in the sky, his brow growing ever more tinged with melancholy.

"The Cataclysm of World's End appears to be accelerating."

"This is my chance to recover, yet it is her death sentence. What should I do?"

Chen Xianzhu murmured inwardly, yet ultimately fell into wordless silence.

Thus time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, 1 year had passed.

Over the course of that year, Chen Xianzhu’s physical body had recovered to a state no different from that of an ordinary person. Though he still could not channel his own spiritual power, and his Great Vajra Dragon Body remained corroded by countless rules and curse arts, it was, after all, a Taiyi Immortal Body.

Unable to mobilize his physical strength, he simply attempted to cultivate this realm's martial arts techniques.

Perhaps the martial arts true qi of this realm was too insignificant, thus it was not annihilated by the anomalous laws within his body.

With his immortal physique and all meridians unblocked, Chen Xianzhu broke through to the Innate Realm after merely 1 day of cultivation. Yet when he sought to advance further and attempt to master supernatural powers, he found himself utterly unable to make the breakthrough.

His divine ability realm had already touched upon a trace of soul power, yet at this moment he could not spare even the slightest fragment of his soul. Thus, it was naturally impossible for him to master the divine abilities of this realm.

Yet, merely reaching the Innate Realm was enough to startle Manor Lord Liu Xu into viewing him as a heaven-sent prodigy. He personally presided over the marriage, bestowing Bai Susu upon Chen Xianzhu.

However, the good times did not last long. After the 2 were married, the environment between heaven and earth grew increasingly harsh. Under the incompetence of the imperial court, the rebellions of displaced peasants intensified.

Until this day, when the imperial court suddenly dispatched a massive army to surround Willowdown Manor.

When Chen Xianzhu arrived at the manor's entrance, he discovered that an army of several 1000 had surrounded Willow Catkin Manor. Their crossbows were drawn and arrows nocked, poised to slaughter everyone in the estate upon a single command.

At the head of the army stood a scholarly middle-aged man, his expression calm yet his brow slightly furrowed, his complexion visibly troubled.

This man was none other than Manor Lord Liu Xu, also Bai Susu's father.

Seeing this, Chen Xianzhu stepped forward and asked, "Father-in-law, how are things?"