Chapter 1692 : A Banished Immortal's Recuperation

Just as Xander Chen was lost in thought, Bianca Bai approached from outside the courtyard.

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

Xander Chen shook his head and replied calmly, "I am already largely recovered. All that remains is a period of recuperation."

Only then did Bianca Bai let out a sigh of relief, a gentle smile gracing her features.

In the days that followed, Xander Chen settled within the mountain villa, focusing on quiet recuperation to mend the wounds within his body.

And Bianca Bai remained by his side, tending to him day and night with meticulous care. The days passed in a state of profound peace and tranquility.

Time flowed on, and three months slipped by. Although Xander Chen still found it difficult to muster even a sliver of his former power, the invasive energies within him had finally ceased their relentless deterioration under his constant internal adjustments.

"Now, all that remains is to await the day this world meets its end,"

Xander Chen murmured inwardly. Yet his gaze drifted to the White Robe-clad woman beside him, and a subtle weight settled in his heart.

He had been born a Banished Immortal [a celestial being exiled to the mortal realm], his father having sought out a True Dragon Relic [a sacred artifact containing the essence of a primordial dragon] to serve as the vessel for his gestation. His innate foundation was profoundly deep-seated [possessing exceptionally solid and vast potential for cultivation]. Even amongst the countless beings across the infinite layers of the heavens [the myriad realms and dimensions of existence], he was considered a true Supreme Heaven's Chosen [a being of unparalleled destiny and talent, favored by the cosmos itself]. Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel dot com.

Throughout his cultivation journey spanning this lifetime, he had scarcely ever encountered the mortal cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, nor had he truly experienced the heartache and helplessness that accompanied it.

In these recent days, his Physical Body had relied entirely on the care of the White Robe woman. He had developed an inexplicable sense of closeness towards this Mortal woman. His heart of stone, unyielding for a million years, seemed to have softened ever so slightly in a certain moment.

He truly could not bear the thought of allowing such a woman to grow old and die right before myself.

If he were at his peak, with his Taiyi Realm cultivation and Creation power, he could have remolded Bianca Bai's Spiritual Root and Primordial Source [the foundational life force and spiritual essence of a being] with a mere snap of his fingers. Even aiding her in Ascending to Immortality would not have been difficult.

Yet, in his current state, there was not a trace of Mana [the energy cultivated and used by immortals and high-level cultivators] within him. His Divine Soul [the highest form of a cultivator's spiritual consciousness] was so weak it verged on exhaustion; he could not muster even a wisp of Rule Power [power derived from comprehending and wielding the fundamental laws of the universe]. How then could he defy the heavens and alter Bianca's fate?

Thinking of this, Xander Chen's heart grew increasingly heavy, and a shadow of worry settled between his brows.

Noticing his expression, Bianca inquired, "What is the matter?"

"It is nothing."

Xander Chen shook his head, then seized the opportunity to ask, "I have heard that in these times, the chaos of war grows ever more rampant outside. What is the situation now?"

Bianca Bai let out a soft sigh and replied, "The rebel forces in Eastern Yan Province have already seized nearly half of the cities. The imperial court dispatched a Grand General to quell the rebellion, but instead of hastening to confront the enemy, he has been burning, killing, and plundering in every region he passes through."

"Now, across the vast expanse of Eastern Yan Province, refugees and bandits are everywhere. The situation outside grows more chaotic by the day."

As Bianca Bai recounted the tale, Xander Chen grasped in an instant the state of affairs on the Northern Martial Continent.

It turned out that over these years, as the ambient spiritual energy [the vital essence that permeates the world and fuels cultivation] between the Heavenly Layers grew ever more sparse, the environment there had gradually become increasingly harsh.

For the last several centuries, the Northern Martial Continent had been plagued by calamities—droughts spanning thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], floods inundating the wilds, and frequent crop failures that left fields barren. Many common folk had been driven to such desperation that they resorted to eating tree bark and roots, and in the most tragic cases, even to the unthinkable act of exchanging children.

Last year, the Great Sun Dynasty saw the passing of Emperor Ai. The new emperor, young and naive, fell under the control of Chancellor Wei. Natural disasters erupted across the land, yet the imperial court showed no intention of providing relief. Instead, it redoubled its efforts to extort grain and coin from the people.

This year, a rare and severe drought struck Eastern Yan Province. With no means left to survive, the populace had no choice but to raise the banner of rebellion.

The court dispatched troops to quell the unrest. Yet before even engaging the rebel forces, these soldiers began burning, killing, and plundering, seizing the people's grain and livestock. This drove Eastern Yan Province further into ruin, pushing it to the brink where scarcely one household in ten remained intact.

"Alas."

Hearing this, a complex emotion stirred within Xander Chen's heart.

His own life had been one of soaring ambition and triumph. From a mortal to the very threshold of Ascending to Immortality, he had overcome every foe in his path, never having personally tasted the bitterness of the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of mortal suffering and impermanence]. Now, immersed in this churning sea of Mortal Dust, he finally understood the profound helplessness of ordinary mortals.

He understood clearly in his heart that this was an inevitable event as the world approached its final twilight.

As resources between the Heavenly Layers grew increasingly scarce and the environment deteriorated ever more harshly, even the lofty innate martial artists and Divine Ability Venerable of this world would eventually be forced to cast aside their pride and personally descend to vie for the meager remaining resources.

This was the end of all ends. Unless an Immortal descended from the higher realms and used heaven-defying means to grant this world a temporary reprieve, there would ultimately be no turning back the tide.

Yet within the boundless dimensions, such insignificant minor worlds were as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, utterly uncountable. Even Immortal could not oversee them all.

Thinking of this, Xander Chen looked at Su Su with concern and asked, "The world is in chaos now. You must also be careful."

Hearing his concern, Bianca Bai felt a warmth in her heart and replied, "Do not worry. The Willow Catkin Manor is a renowned martial arts sect on the Northern Martial Continent, and my father is an innate realm expert. Few places under heaven are safer than here." Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel .c om.

Upon hearing this, Xander Chen gave a slight nod.

He said no more, merely gazing at the boundless drifting clouds in the sky, his brow furrowing with deepening melancholy.

"The calamity of the world's end... it seems to be accelerating."

"This is my chance for recovery, yet it is her fatal knot. What should I do?"

Xander Chen murmured inwardly, yet ultimately fell into silent contemplation.

Thus, time flowed swiftly by, and in the blink of an eye, a full year had passed.

During this year, Xander Chen's Physical Body recovered to a state indistinguishable from an ordinary person's. Although he still could not mobilize his internal Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated by practitioners], and his Great Power Heavenly Dragon Constitution [an exceptionally powerful innate physical foundation] remained eroded by countless Rule [the fundamental laws governing reality] curses and spells, this was, after all, the Supreme Unity Immortal Physique [a legendary, near-perfect physical vessel for immortal cultivation].

Unable to harness the power of his Physical Body, he simply began attempting to cultivate this world's martial arts techniques.

Perhaps because the martial True Qi [the refined internal energy of martial artists in this world] of this realm was too insignificant, it was not annihilated by the foreign Rule within his body.

With an Immortal Physique where all meridians were naturally unblocked, Xander Chen broke through to the Innate Realm [the foundational stage of martial cultivation] after cultivating for merely a single day. Yet, when he sought to advance further and attempt to achieve the Divine Ability [a realm where martial arts touch upon supernatural powers] realm, he discovered he was utterly incapable of making the breakthrough.

The Divine Ability realm already involved a trace of Divine Soul [Primordial Spirit, the spiritual core of a cultivator] power. At this moment, he could not spare even the faintest wisp of his Divine Soul, thus naturally he could not cultivate to this world's Divine Ability realm.

However, reaching the Innate Realm alone was enough for the Lord of Willow Catkin Manor to regard him with awe, as if he were a Celestial Being [an immortal or transcendent being]. He personally took charge and married Bianca Bai to Xander Chen.

But the good times did not last. After their marriage, the environment between the Heavenly Layers [a term referring to the stratified heavens or the ruling imperial court] grew increasingly harsh. With the imperial court corrupt and incompetent, rebellions by displaced refugees grew more intense and widespread.

Then, on this day, the court suddenly dispatched a great army to surround Willow Catkin Manor.

When Xander Chen arrived before the manor gates, he discovered that a host of several thousand soldiers had encircled Willow Catkin Manor. Their crossbows were drawn, arrows nocked, poised as if awaiting a single command to slaughter everyone within Willow Catkin Manor.

Before this army stood a scholarly-looking middle-aged man, his expression outwardly calm. Yet, a slight furrow creased his brow, and his complexion was decidedly poor.

This man was the Lord of Willow Catkin Manor and also the father of Bianca Bai.

Witnessing this scene, Xander Chen stepped forward and inquired, "Father-in-law, what is the situation?" This chapter is provided by audio - novel . com. Support the original.