Chapter 2829: Salvation

Kai Xuan's body trembled—not from pain, but from realization.

Yun Lintian wasn't just angry.

He was merciless.

"W-Wait—!" Kai Xuan choked, his voice raw. "I-I know how to find her! I can help you!"

Yun Lintian's fingers did not loosen. His mismatched eyes burned cold.

"It doesn't matter. I can find her myself."

His grip tightened further.

Kai Xuan's bones splintered. His flesh ripped. His soul—

—was peeled apart, layer by layer.

"AHHHHH—!"

The scream that tore from Kai Xuan's throat was inhuman. It wasn't just pain—it was violation. His very essence was being unmade.

The millions of revived cultivators and mortals below watched in horror.

Some vomited.

Others collapsed in terror.

None could look away.

Yun Lintian did not care.

His fingers dug deeper, each movement methodical, deliberate.

"You thought you could toy with me?" His voice was soft, deadly. "That I would hesitate?"

Kai Xuan's body twisted unnaturally, his limbs snapping like dry twigs. His screams turned garbled, wordless.

And still—

Yun Lintian did not stop.

He ground Kai Xuan's soul like sand between his fingers, each shred of existence dissolving into agony.

The Chaos Knight's mind shattered.

His memories unraveled.

His pride turned to dust.

And yet—

Yun Lintian kept him alive.

Conscious.

Feeling every second of it.

"P-PLEASE—!" Kai Xuan begged, his voice a broken whisper. "KILL ME—!"

Yun Lintian leaned closer, his breath cold against Kai Xuan's ear.

"Sure."

A final twist of his fingers—

And Kai Xuan's soul erupted in silent, endless screams.

His body collapsed, lifeless.

His essence—scattered to nothingness.

No reincarnation.

No afterlife.

Only oblivion.

Silence.

The Haven's survivors quaked, their faces pale with terror.

Yun Lintian stood amidst the ruins of the false paradise, his white robes fluttering in the unnatural wind. Below him, millions of mortals and cultivators trembled—some in fear, others in confusion.

He raised his hand, and his voice echoed throughout the entire Haven, reaching every corner of the shattered realm.

"Look around you."

The survivors flinched at his words, their gazes instinctively following his command.

The once-beautiful mountains now lay in ruins, their golden peaks reduced to rubble. The rivers of starlight had dried up, revealing cracked earth beneath. The sky, once a perfect azure, now flickered like a dying illusion—patches of void peeking through the cracks.

"Is this the paradise you believed in?" Yun Lintian's voice was calm, but it carried the weight of undeniable truth.

A murmur spread through the crowd. Some clutched their heads, their minds struggling to reconcile the truth.

"What you have lived in all this time was nothing but an illusion," Yun Lintian continued. "A cage built by the so-called Lord of Chaos—Nian Shi, the God of Time."

His golden and black eyes swept over them.

"It doesn't matter how good your lives were here. In the end, you were nothing but pawns."

Silence.

Then—whispers.

"Is it true?"

"The Heavenly Lord… lied to us?"

"But… this was our home…"

Yun Lintian ignored their murmurs. "I offer you a way out."

He raised his hand, and space itself tore open, revealing a massive spatial rift. Beyond it, lush forests, clear rivers, and a vibrant sky stretched endlessly—the Primal Chaos.

"Believe it or not—that is not my concern." His voice was indifferent. "Those who wish to leave may cross. Those who prefer to stay… can wait here to die."

With that, he took a single step forward—

And vanished.

The rift remained, pulsing with energy.

For a long moment, no one moved.

Then—

A young cultivator, his robes tattered, stepped forward. "I… I'll go first."

His companions grabbed his arm. "Are you mad?! What if it's a trap?"

The young man shook his head. "Look at this place. Does it look like paradise anymore?"

He pulled free and leaped through the rift.

Silence.

Then—

He reappeared moments later, his eyes wide with awe.

"It's real!" he shouted. "The other side—it's another world! Fresh air, clean water, no illusions!"

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

An elderly mortal woman, clutching a child's hand, stepped forward next. "If we stay here… we'll die?"

The young cultivator nodded. "This realm is breaking apart. There's no future here."

That was all the confirmation she needed.

Hesitantly, she led the child toward the rift.

A kind-faced female cultivator hurried to her side. "Let me help you."

One by one, more followed.

Mortals who had never cultivated a day in their lives.

Low-level disciples who had been trapped for decades.

Even some of the stronger cultivators, their expressions grim but resolute.

They crossed the rift, stepping into the unknown.

On the other side, they were greeted by vast plains, thriving forests, and a sky untouched by deception.

The young cultivator who had gone first organized the others, directing them to safe areas. "Spread out! Find shelter! The strong—help the weak!"

Back in the Haven, the rift remained open.

But not everyone moved.

A group of fanatical believers stood rooted in place, their faces twisted in denial.

"This is blasphemy!" one roared. "The Heavenly Lord would never deceive us!"

Another spat toward the rift. "That demon is lying! This is a test of our faith!"

The young cultivator who had returned shook his head in pity. "Stay if you want. But when this realm collapses… don't say you weren't warned."

With that, he turned and crossed back into the Primal Chaos, leaving the stubborn behind.

***

Yun Lintian stepped through the void, his white robes fluttering as he surveyed the endless darkness beyond the Haven. His divine sense expanded outward, searching for any trace of Long Qingxuan—or Nian Shi.

Then—

Space rippled.

From the abyss, countless figures emerged—Chaos Knights, clad in silver armor, their weapons gleaming with temporal energy. They moved in perfect formation, surrounding Yun Lintian from all directions.

At their head stood a tall man in dark-gold battle robes—Sun Qi, the Chaos Protector. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with restrained power.

"Yun Lintian," Sun Qi said, his voice steady. "Turn back."

Yun Lintian raised a brow slightly. "So Nian Shi is indeed a coward. He doesn't dare meet me himself?"

Sun Qi's gaze hardened. "Insulting my master won't bring your woman back."

A cold smirk touched Yun Lintian's lips. "Then where is she?"